Red Milkweed Beetle On Green Leaf Of Milkweed Plant Royalty-Free Stock Photography

The milkweed beetle, a herbivore, is given this name because they are generally host specific to milkweed plants genus Asclepias. It is thought the beetle and its early instars derive a measure of protection from predators by incorporating toxins from the plant into their bodies, thereby becoming distasteful, much as the monarch butterfly and its larvae do.