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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Pentatomomorpha » Lygaeoidea » Seed Bugs (Lygaeidae) » Lygaeinae » Oncopeltus » subgenus Erythrischius (Oncopeltus subgenus Erythrischius) » Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus)
Photo#1604683
O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph - Oncopeltus fasciatus
Copyright © 2018 dvoribird

O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph - Oncopeltus fasciatus
Austin, Travis County, Texas, USA
October 14, 2018
Observation: outside in garden. The victim was initially attacked by a fellow 4th-instar nymph (see https://bugguide.net/node/view/1604675 ). This is one of several instances of O. fasciatus cannibalism that I have observed. While buds and blossoms were available to these bugs, no seedpods were present for them. The bugs attack live victims of the same species, but I have also seen them eating dead caterpillars, Diptera pupae, and other dead insects.

see my article on handraising milkweed bugs here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1716733

Images of this individual: tag all
O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph - Oncopeltus fasciatus O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph, joined by younger diners - Oncopeltus fasciatus O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph, joined by younger diners - Oncopeltus fasciatus O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph, joined by younger diners - Oncopeltus fasciatus O. fasciatus cannibalism: 5th-instar eating 4th-instar nymph, joined by younger diners - Oncopeltus fasciatus O. fasciatus cannibalism: 4th-instar victim - Oncopeltus fasciatus
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Contributed by dvoribird on 20 October, 2018 - 9:55am
Last updated 24 August, 2019 - 7:45pm

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