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Sep 13, 2023 · Milkweed assassin bugs hold their victims close and use their suckers like vacuums, but other species like to crush their prey or consume them whole. What do they eat? If they eat anything other than insects, they aren’t milkweeds.
They are generalist predators feeding on a wide range of soft-bodied prey in garden and fields such as mosquitoes, flies, earthworms, cucumber beetles, and caterpillars (fall armyworm, rootworm, etc.). Figure 1. Adult milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, showing its long legs and beak (stylet), sitting on a sweet corn tassel.
Jun 21, 2023 · “Milkweed assassin bugs do eat monarch caterpillars, but they also eat a large variety of other insects, many of which are considered garden pests,” Jill Staake explains. (Psst—watch out for these monarch butterfly predators and parasites) .
- Emily Hannemann
They eat a variety of insects including aphids, armyworms, stink bugs, houseflies, etc. Milkweed Assassin Bugs have a bright red-colored body with long black legs, black wings and long black antenna.
- Milkweed Assassin Bug
- 1/2 inch
- Zelus longipes
- Insect predator
Feb 24, 2023 · Females lay eggs in clusters on leaves/stems. Nymphs molt 4 times. Usually overwinter as adults. 1. 2. Hart E.R. 1986. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 79: 535-548. 3. An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.
Aug 6, 2021 · Like most other insects, the milkweed assassin bug also lays eggs. A female milkweed assassin bug can lay up to 15 eggs in a single clutch. The eggs are usually brown in color and have an elongated shape.
Jan 4, 2022 · While Large Milkweed Bugs eat seeds and plant stems, leaving other insects alone, Milkweed Assassin Bugs bug killers. Mimicking such a 'friendly' bug allows the Milkweed Assassin to tread closer to unsuspecting insect prey. They quickly attack an insect and repeatedly stab it with a large fang.
