Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Thursday - October 18, 2012
From: Westminster, MA
Region: Northeast
Topic: Butterfly Gardens, Pests
Title: Orange eggs on milkweed plants
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hello I have milk weed in my flower garden. Every year I find small orange 'eggs' on the leaves and stems of the plant. I don't think these are the monarch eggs, but not sure if they are other 'good' eggs or not. Thanks for your help.ANSWER:
You are right that Danaus plexippus (Monarch) butterfly eggs are not orange—they are white. The eggs of the other closely related butterflies that feed on milkweed plants [Danaus gilippus (Queen) and Danaus eresimus (Soldier)] are also white.
A possible identification for the orange eggs is Labidomera clivicollis (Swamp milkweed leaf beetle). You can read more about the beetles from TexasButterflyRanch.com. You can see from the map on the TexasEnto page that their range includes Massachusetts. If that is what the eggs are, you might want to get rid of them if their larvae are seriously defoliating the plant. Of course, you can't use a pesticide to remove them since that would also impact the monarch, queen or soldier butterflies. However, you should be able to handpick them to remove them.
Here is a photo guide from MonarchWatch to 26 of the more than 100 species of milkweed plants and here is a link to the 62 native species of the Family Asclepidaceae (Milkweed Family) listed in our Native Plant Database. You don't say which of the milkweeds you have in your garden; but, if you don't know the species, perhaps you can find it in the MonarchWatch guide and/or in the list from our Native Plant Database.
More Butterfly Gardens Questions
Questions about milkweed seeds
March 28, 2013 - Dear folks, I am trying to locate Nan Hampton from Los Fresnos, Texas who asked about Asclepias texana seeds and other Asclepias seeds on Dec. 10, 2008. I would like to know if she found any and has...
view the full question and answer
Host plant for Northern Pearly Eye butterfly
March 25, 2008 - Can we add to the host plant information for Elymus hystrix (Bottlebrush grass)?
The grass is host plant for the Northern Pearly Eye butterfly (Enodia anthedon).
It would be great to share this info...
view the full question and answer
Butterfly gardening in Wood County, TX
February 11, 2009 - What food and host plants should be planted for butterflies in Wood County Texas.
view the full question and answer
Where are the Gulf Fritillary butterflies?
November 18, 2011 - I have a beautiful passiflora plant that more of a bush than a vine, and I expected to see more Gulf Fritillary butterflies than I have seen this season (I've seen only a few over the months). My qu...
view the full question and answer
Information for constructing a butterfly observation building
December 19, 2008 - I am looking for information on the construction of an indoor butterfly observation building and am having no luck. Thought I would take a chance and ask you.
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
