Photo by: James Morgan
Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle, Labidomera clivicollis
As an adult, Labidomera clivicollis is 12 to 13 mm in length. It has a black head and black pronotum. The elytra either have orange or yellow coloration, with dark blue to black splotches. With each side of the elytra exhibiting almost perfect symmetry. This species is oval and robust. The thorax is three times as wide as long and the elytral punctures are fine and arranged in irregular rows. Legs are a metallic blue color and exhibit 4-4-4 tarsi, a typical chrysomelid characteristic. The last tarsi have a tan colored plate resembling a broad heart shape.
Tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica.
Asclepias curassavica, commonly called bloodflower, is a tender evergreen perennial native to South America. It has a much longer flowering period than the native perennial milkweed species. It typically grows as a subshrub to 2-3’ tall on upright stems clad with pointed, opposite, lanceolate leaves (to 6” long). Leaves are medium green sometimes with white midribs. Showy flowers with five sepals and five lobes appear in rounded axillary clusters (cymes) in late spring to early summer. Flowers are red-orange with yellow hoods (for the species; cultivars can be all yellow, such as ‘Hello Yellow’, etc). Flowering continues throughout the summer to early autumn.
Sources: Bodnariuk, B. and B. Scholtens 2014. “Labidomera clivicollis” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed August 20, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Labidomera_clivicollis/
Dr. Bodie Pennisi, Professor, CAES-Horticulture