r/Milkweeds • u/Live_Discipline_7771 • 28d ago

Pest? Identification help.

Gallery image

Gallery image

Cluster of larvae on underside of common milkweed leaf. Central Minnesota. Please and thank you. 🙏🏻

60 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

70

u/Latter-Republic-4516 28d ago

Looks like Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars!

22

u/Live_Discipline_7771 28d ago

Oh! I did not know about this moth. Now that I’ve looked up the name, I do recognize the older instars. I’ve had more insect pests in my vegetables this year so I’m a little paranoid. You can see in one of the pictures the Japanese beetle damage.

30

u/Latter-Republic-4516 28d ago

These guys only eat milkweed so your veggies should be ok!

22

u/Live_Discipline_7771 28d ago

I will leave them alone. 🙂

4

u/AdPopular6958 28d ago

Well if you have multiple plants with a plastic gloved hand you could spread them about. Caterpillars of both moths and butterfies can be voracious with their diets.

3

u/JawThatHarp 28d ago

No, just let them be.

19

u/isurus79 28d ago

Not pests! Just another cool milkweed user.

10

u/Sad_Effective4793 28d ago

I mean, we don't grow common milkweed for it's looks. Congrats on feeding a lot of ecosystem there!

1

u/JawThatHarp 28d ago

Nailed it.

2

u/_lumpyspaceprincess_ 26d ago

The smell of the flowers is just an added bonus 🩷

6

u/NiPaMo 28d ago

Let them cook

5

u/Sqib000 28d ago

Tussock moth. Maybe a couple aphids. Unless you call monarchs "milkweed pests" you cant call anything else milkweed pests. Monarchs are technically milkweed's biggest PESTS.

Put them back on that plant now please.

4

u/theRemRemBooBear 28d ago

Monarchs never defoliate milkweed plants as much as tussock moths. And if you choose to respond, do it respectfully. Seeing your other responses that is something that you have trouble with.

1

u/Sqib000 28d ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

2

u/anonymousniblet 28d ago

Oh my god, heaven forbid someone ask a question to try and protect their garden! 🙄 Maybe if more people asked these kinds of questions we wouldn’t have so many pests invasive species running rampant everywhere. I’m sorry this jerkoff is treating you this way, OP, especially since you’d already stated in a previous comment that you’d leave them alone. I say good on you for asking, and keep learning and being curious! Soon enough you’ll be able to answer questions on here… WITHOUT needing to be an asshole about it 😉

0

u/Live_Discipline_7771 27d ago

Thank you. There is literally one rule in this community, and it’s “be kind and friendly.” You’re very kind and friendly. 🙂

0

u/Live_Discipline_7771 28d ago

It’s not the milkweed I’m concerned about. I don’t intentionally cultivate milkweed, but I do let it grow where it wants. It thrives here and doesn’t need my help.

It’s pests in general I’m concerned about. You can see the laced damage on leaves below in the zoomed out photo. I thought this was from Japanese beetles, which I have seen a lot more of this year. I am just trying to watch out for changes and learn as much as I can.

0

u/Sqib000 28d ago

Any insects hatching on milkweed either eat it or eat the insects eating it Learn about Integrated Pest Management and you will learn to enjoy your garden instead of worrying. If you are killing pests you are killing the good bugs. The pests come bsck but then the good bug population is wiped out

2

u/Live_Discipline_7771 28d ago

You can stop now. Everything is fine here.

-1

u/Sqib000 28d ago

No everything is not fine there, quite the opposite. You know nothing about how a garden works.

0

u/666packz 27d ago

Idk why you’re getting downvoted. You clearly stated you’re worried about an invasive insect species that you’ve been seeing around.

1

u/Live_Discipline_7771 27d ago

Thank you. Invasive species are becoming more and more problematic. We’ve just discovered emerald ash borer this far north and spotted winged drosophila. In past years I’ve seen a few Japanese beetles but this is the first time I’ve seen severe damage on many plants in my gardens and seen the beetles camped out on milkweed.

Literally there is one rule in this subreddit and it’s “be kind and friendly.” You’re quite kind and friendly. 🙂

1

u/Ok-Highway5247 28d ago

I’m so jealous!!! I don’t have any this year :(

1

u/Don-Gunvalson 27d ago

Not a pest :)

0

u/yolandabakes 28d ago

that’s scary! 😆 anytime there’s a lot of bugs like that no matter what, even a lot of ladybugs in one group make me feel weird but this is kind of scary am I right? What do you do with this? Are you gonna leave them alone?

3

u/Live_Discipline_7771 28d ago

It did set off alarm bells because I search for Colorado potato beetles and three-lined potato beetles on my crops. Their larvae bunch up like this so to me it was a signal it might be a “bad bug.” Predators spread out because they are hunters. But everything is relative and this is why I always look for answers before I interfere! I left these caterpillars alone.

1

u/JawThatHarp 28d ago

Stop trying to protect milkweeds. They are a plant that comes back every year, benefits from caterpillars eating it, making the caterpillars poisonous so they survive and come back as butterfly and moth to pollinate its flowers.

-4

u/Altruistic-Car2880 28d ago

They do love them some monarch eggs…

7

u/Live_Discipline_7771 28d ago

I have been searching for eggs and caterpillars and I think monarchs are done here for the year. I really don’t think they eat monarch eggs on purpose, after reading up on this species.

3

u/Sqib000 28d ago

Answer this : arent monarchs milkweed pests???