Milkweed Seed Pods and Milkweed Bugs

The Milkweed, in this case Asclepias syriaca, is the main food plant for the larvae of the Monarch Butterfly. Feeding on the toxic sap makes the larvae and the butterflies themselves distasteful to birds and other predators. The Milkweed Bugs feed on the seeds and are not considered harmful to the butterflies or their larva.