Small milkweed bug

Common on milkweed and other flowering plants in fields, gardens, and roadsides; this individual is on a sunflower.

Adults and nymphs suck plant juices, especially from milkweed seeds, pods, and stems; they may occasionally feed on nectar or other plants.

They commonly aggregate on host plants, mate and lay eggs there, and may disperse seasonally. Their orange-and-black coloration advertises chemical defenses acquired from milkweed.

They are not dangerous to people and rarely cause significant garden damage. They help regulate milkweed populations and serve as prey for birds and other predators.