# Small milkweed bug

*Lygaeus kalmii*

Smaller, redder, and far less fussy than its large cousin: it takes seed, nectar and the occasional dead insect.

## What it does on milkweed

Small milkweed bugs feed mainly on milkweed seed but will also take nectar and scavenge dead insects, including ones that died trapped in milkweed flowers. That flexibility lets them appear earlier in the season than the large milkweed bug, before there is any seed to eat. They overwinter as adults in leaf litter.

## How to recognize it

About 10 to 12 mm. Black with a red X shape across the folded wings, formed by a red band across the front and a red stripe down each side, and two small white spots at the wing tips.

## Where and when

Throughout the United States, including the arid West.

## Should you do anything about it?

Leave them alone. They take a small share of seed and eat some of the insects that die on the flowers.

### What is the difference between large and small milkweed bugs?

The large milkweed bug has a solid black band across an orange back. The small milkweed bug is black with a red X. The small one is also the earlier of the two to appear.

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Source: https://milkweedusa.com/wildlife/small-milkweed-bug/ — Milkweed USA, CC BY 4.0.