Bug FAQBrooklet Milkweed Bug
Spilostethus rivularis · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Lygaeidae
The Brooklet Milkweed Bug is about 13 mm long and its nymphs are bright yellow-orange with brown stripes. It lives widely across African grasslands, savannahs and croplands, feeding on milkweed, Calotropis and some Solanum seeds and flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 13 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is commonly found in African grassland, savannah grassland and croplands.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Members of its genus feed on seeds of various milkweed species, related Calotropis species, and afrotropical Solanum species. They are also found on flower heads of various composite plants and often gather on Lopholaena coriifolia in South Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The egg and immature stages were described by Slater and Perry in 1973.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is widely distributed in Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Where is this bug found?
It is widely distributed across African grasslands, savannahs and croplands.
Source: Wikipedia
What does it eat?
It feeds on seeds of milkweed, Calotropis and Solanum species and can be seen on composite flower heads.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lygaeidae)
Large Milkweed BugOncopeltus fasciatus
Small Milkweed BugLygaeus kalmii
False Milkweed BugLygaeus turcicus
Indian Milkweed BugSpilostethus pandurusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Black-and-Red BugLygaeus equestris
Harlequin bug (Spilostethus saxatilis)Spilostethus saxatilisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spilostethus_rivularis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.