Amazing, that although I do not know of many of these particular plants being found around here, this beetle was found crawling around the other day. The plant is swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and the beetle is the swamp milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis).
I grew these plants from seed obtained from a single plant that was growing in a culvert at the end of our street. This particular one has recently matured, and sure enough - just as it does a beetle that eats just about the whole plant shows up! My son spotted it quickly (as is typical with him) as it rambled around.
By the next day, there were two of them and they were mating - so we'll keep an eye out for eggs. I'm hoping that they just casually munch a bit and don't run rampant . . .
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