Assassin bugs on milkweed pods - danger to monarchs? - Ask Extension
For the past two years we have noticed that newborn and adolescent assassin bugs prefer the native milkweed pod plants in our garden areas. (On a sid...
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Assassin bugs on milkweed pods - danger to monarchs? #348789
Asked August 01, 2016, 9:58 AM EDT
For the past two years we have noticed that newborn and adolescent assassin bugs prefer the native milkweed pod plants in our garden areas. (On a side note, we replant MWP seeds yearly and now have several areas of native MWP for monarchs.) One area has several hundred newborn and adolescent assassin bugs covering the milkweed leaves. Knowing that the bugs eat japanese beetles, among others, we have been careful not to disturb them (I was also stung by an adolescent last year and know how painful their sting can be) but we're wondering if the assassin bugs will harm the monarchs and/or may eat their eggs?
Lancaster County Pennsylvania
Expert Response
Here is a link to an article on milkweed assassin bugs. They can prey on many insects including caterpillars. Here is a link to a website on common monarch predators.
I recommend you monitor the situation. Leave it alone and see what happens. Assassin bugs are good for the garden, and monarchs need to survive. If most of the caterpillars are pupating, losing a few is part of the balance of nature. Our goal as gardeners is to preserve the natural balance in every part of our landscape. My guess is that some predation is inevitable.
I recommend you monitor the situation. Leave it alone and see what happens. Assassin bugs are good for the garden, and monarchs need to survive. If most of the caterpillars are pupating, losing a few is part of the balance of nature. Our goal as gardeners is to preserve the natural balance in every part of our landscape. My guess is that some predation is inevitable.
