Black and Orange Beetle

A lot of insects that feed on Milkweed are black and orange. I found one today I had not seen before and I am guessing it is toxic to predators (or at least tastes yucky) with those bright warning colours. The Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis) feeds on Swamp and Common Milkweed and prior to leaf meals, clips the side veins to drain some of the sticky sap. This gorgeous beetle is about a centimetre long with a green thorax and black and orange elytra (which can vary considerably).

- Mar