A guide to identification of common host plants in Eastern by Trevor Fowles & David R. Angelini

The soapberry family () The soapberries can be identified by large air-filled pods with 1-6 seeds. Their seed leaves are very sub-divided. pod

seeds

Balloon vine or Heartseed seed leaves are pod sub-divided ( sp.) Found in South Florida, Goldenrain tree Planted in urban and suburban street- the Gulf Coast, and the (Koelreuteria sp.) sides and developments across the US. Lower Mississippi River.

Maples (part of the Sapindaceae) Milkweed (Asclepias sp.) Box elder (Acer seed negundo) pod milkweed flowers

Maple (Acer sp.) latex seed pods Milkweed is common along roadsides or as a garden plant. Maples are common trees with They ooze toxic latex from broken monarch palm-shaped leaves. Their seeds leaves. Seed pods have a soft fluff. butterfly are known as samaras, “maple Many (bugs, beetles, and caterpillars keys”, “helicopters”, or “whirligigs”. caterpillars) live on milkweed.

pistil The sunflower The mallow family stamens family ray flowers (Malvaceae) disk flowers (Asteraceae) Mallows have flowers with 5 petals and stamens fused cotton with the pistil. (Gossyp- Leaves have tiny Hibiscus ium sp.) star-shaped, spiky hairs on their underside. fruit from boll

cotton stainer bugs yarrowyarrow ragwortragwort fleabanefleabane ((Achillea sp.)sp.) ((Senecio sp.) ((Erigeron sp.) (Dysdercus sp.) bugsinourbackyard.org A key to identification of common bug species in Eastern North America by Trevor Fowles & David R. Angelini

box elder ? seed What’s that bug

Does the bug (Secondary have ocelli? eyes on top of its head)

no ocelli ocelli box elder bug About how Boisea trivittata orange or many veins color on wings & bordered plant bug red border in the wing middle of pronotum Largus cinctus on pronotum membrane? & wings head no color on wings, pronotum red shoulders

wings 20 veins red body red eyes white neck wing membrane 4-5 veins

2 colors: red-shouldered cotton stainer red & black soapberry bug Dysdercus suturellus feeds on milkweed haematoloma 3 colors: red, black black band no black band, & white acoss the wings have red X feeds on middle of the and a black heart asterids wings

large milkweed bug small milkweed bug white-crossed seed bug fasciatus Neacoryphus bicrucis

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