False milkweed bug
Despite its common name this seed bug avoids milkweed entirely, feeding only on the seeds of false sunflower instead.
| Where | Sunny meadows with false sunflower |
|---|---|
| Size | 10 to 11 mm body length |
| When | March to October |
Adults are patterned in orange and black, with two overlapping black triangles on the wings and a distinctive Y shaped orange mark on the head that separates them from true milkweed bugs.
Both nymphs and adults cluster on the seed heads of false sunflower to feed by day, and despite the common name they rarely if ever touch milkweed.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Orange, Black
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; it feeds only on plant seeds and does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Close in size at about 10 to 12 mm, the Small Milkweed Bug has a red spot on the head and an orange-red X that does not meet in the middle, instead of the Y-shaped orange mark of the False Milkweed Bug.
Questions
Is the False milkweed bug dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; it feeds only on plant seeds and does not bite or sting.
When can you see the False milkweed bug?
The False milkweed bug can be seen from March to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by kirill_levchenko, CC0, iNaturalist Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.