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Photo#1579934
larvae on milkweed

larvae on milkweed
Mason County, Michigan, USA
August 22, 2018
Size: just over 1/4 inch long

Images of this individual: tag all
larvae on milkweed larvae on milkweed

Frassed
Moved from Beetles.

good or bad?
I guess this is a swamp milkweed beetle larvae. I found several of them. Looked up info and they apparently eat the milkweed flowers. Too late for that this year, so I assume that means next year. But should I get rid of them? They seem to be native. I have acres of milkweed. There would have to be tons of these beetles to do so much damage the monarchs couldn't find enough.

 
Monarchs are the ambassadors
Monarchs are the ambassadors for a whole community that depends on milkweed and has stayed nicely in balance since time immemorial. Just enjoy watching the extra inhabitant of your little community. It's like tigers are the ambassadors for all the other species that share their habitat. We save the habitat for the big cats, but everything else benefits as well.

I think you're right that they are Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetles. Here's an example: https://bugguide.net/node/view/6165

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