I was really struck by the contrast in color and texture between this cluster of large milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) and the milkweed on which they were perched at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge during a visit earlier this week.
The color combination seems appropriate for a Christmas card, though the subject matter would be considered untraditional, to say the least, and might not be met with enthusiasm by all recipients.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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It definitely has a Halloween vibe about it! Benjamin will love this photo. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!
Yeah, probably better for Halloween than Christmas. 🙂
I saw a beautiful milkweed plant and collected a bunch of seeds from it and stuck them in my pocket. That evening, after changing my clothes, my bedroom was full of these little critters. I did some research…and that’s how I learned what milkweed bugs are (:
Wow. That must have been quite a surprise. The bugs go through a series of stages (which I think are called instars) of development and change their appearance somewhat at each stage.