Small Milkweed Bug

Small milkweed bugs (Lygaeus kalmii) are initially fully red, but eventually develop black diagonal markings. You can find them in meadows and fields containing common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), where they feed on the seeds and lay their eggs in the spring. They also get their nutrients from milkweed nectar and seeds; but if these food sources are limited, they may feed on other insects such as monarch caterpillars, which feed exclusively on milkweed. Milkweed is toxic to most creatures, so milkweed bugs and monarch caterpillars' diets make them poisonous to potential predators!