milkweed beetle

[MNkristin]

Are milkweed beetles ultimately friend or foe when it comes to our monarch friends?
I've got a lot of milkweed, so I don't mind sharing the leaves, but are the beetles harmful to the monarch population?

[Mona Miller]

It's an ethical thing. Some people don't believe in killing. But, for me my milkweed is for my Monarchs and the pests can keep away or face the consequences. Certain types of beetles eat and lay eggs in the stem (kill the milkweed), others wait for the seed pods and eat the seeds.

http://www.texasento.net/MWpix.htm
Insects on milkweed.

http://www.texasento.net/tetrophthalmus.htm
These eat the milkweed and lay in the stems.

http://insects.tamu.edu/images/animalia ... l_m_05.jpg
Adults
http://insects.tamu.edu/images/animalia ... l_m_02.jpg
Juveniles
These feed on the seeds.

http://www.texasento.net/dplex.htm
TX Monarch Watch has a lot of good info.