false milkweed bug (Lygaeus turcicus) at Neste Valley Recreation Area IA 653A0499
We didn't quite set another high temperature record for the date here in Winneshiek County today, but it was still 70F/21C. This unseasonably warm weather brought some bugs out of their winter resting sites for a brief appearance even after they've endured temperatures down to 10F/-12C already this fall. This false milkweed bug has a pretty cool way to protect itself. These crafty bugs don't associate with milkweed plants at all but they have the same orange and black color pattern on their bodies as milkweed bugs so they confuse predators into thinking they eat milkweed. Consequently, they are left alone by almost all predators since milkweed bugs taste so terrible thanks to milkweed sap. False milkweed beetle nymphs feed on smooth oxeye/false sunflower plant sap here on the nearby prairie at Neste Valley. Now in the fall, adults add antifreeze to their circulation systems and overwinter under the leaf litter. This one just crawled out from beneath some sheltering oak leaves.
false milkweed bug (Lygaeus turcicus) at Neste Valley Recreation Area IA 653A0499
We didn't quite set another high temperature record for the date here in Winneshiek County today, but it was still 70F/21C. This unseasonably warm weather brought some bugs out of their winter resting sites for a brief appearance even after they've endured temperatures down to 10F/-12C already this fall. This false milkweed bug has a pretty cool way to protect itself. These crafty bugs don't associate with milkweed plants at all but they have the same orange and black color pattern on their bodies as milkweed bugs so they confuse predators into thinking they eat milkweed. Consequently, they are left alone by almost all predators since milkweed bugs taste so terrible thanks to milkweed sap. False milkweed beetle nymphs feed on smooth oxeye/false sunflower plant sap here on the nearby prairie at Neste Valley. Now in the fall, adults add antifreeze to their circulation systems and overwinter under the leaf litter. This one just crawled out from beneath some sheltering oak leaves.