Search Behavior of the Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)

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Abstract
Laboratory experiments found that free-flying adult Oncopeltus fasciatus located a milkweed plant even when it was hidden from sight. Field observations indicate that the search for mates, as well as for host plants, is olfactory. Bugs released in large patches of host plant stayed longer than those in very small patches, showing that host dispersion influences tenure. Sharp drops in host density, as at the edges of plant clusters, may be important cues guiding bugs into areas of concentrated resource.