Large milkweed bug
| Large milkweed bug | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Family: | Lygaeidae |
| Genus: | Oncopeltus |
| Species: | O. fasciatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas, 1852) [1] | |
The milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, is a medium–sized hemipteran (true bug) of the family Lygaeidae. It feeds mainly on grains, particularly those of the milkweed. Like all hemiptera, it feeds through a long mouthpart known as a rostrum. O. fasciatus is commonly used in science due to ease of rearing and ease of dissection.