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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » Plant-parasitic Hemipterans (Sternorrhyncha) » Aphidoidea » Aphids (Aphididae) » Aphidinae » Aphidini » Aphis » Oleander Aphid (Aphis nerii)
Photo#197867
Egg and Grub found on butterfly weed in an aphid colony - Aphis nerii
Copyright © 2008 Adrenna

Egg and Grub found on butterfly weed in an aphid colony - Aphis nerii
Madison County, Alabama, USA
July 5, 2008
Size: 5 millimeters
I discovered a milkweed aphid colony on my butterfly weed today. I also noticed some spider mites and this mystery grub and round egg. I do not know if the grub laid the egg but it seems likely since the egg appeared today along with the grub. Any help would be appreciated.

Note: The grub is brownish green and is resting on a dead butterfly weed flower stem.
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Contributed by Adrenna on 5 July, 2008 - 6:09pm
Last updated 14 October, 2009 - 12:12am

Milkweed, but not butterfly milkweed
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) has alternative leaves and a hairy stem, unlike all other milkweeds that have opposite leaves and smooth stems. I suspect this this is Scarlet Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), which has orangish flowers (somewhat like Butterfly Milkweed) but with the normal opposite leaves and smooth stems.
… John Pearson, 15 December, 2009 - 10:02pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Aphids.
… Charley Eiseman, 14 October, 2009 - 12:12am login or register to post comments

The 'grub' may be a syrphid fly larva.
Some species feed on aphids. The 'egg' looks wrapped in spider silk and may very well be a spider egg case. If we are correct on these the grub and the egg are unrelated, but that's a big IF!
… john and jane balaban, 5 July, 2008 - 6:27pm login or register to post comments

 
Another possibility
is that the "egg" is the cocoon of a green lacewing (Chrysopidae); this is plausible since chrysopid larvae, like some syrphid larvae, prey on aphids.
… Charley Eiseman, 9 September, 2008 - 12:06pm login or register to post comments

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