Small Milkweed Bug vs Cave Cixiid
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Small Milkweed Bug | Cave Cixiid |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lygaeus kalmii | Oliarus polyphemus |
| Order | Hemiptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Lygaeidae | Cixiidae |
| Size | 10-12 mm | 4-6 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Caves |
| Diet | Predators | Sap Feeders |
| Regions | North America | Hawaii, Big Island |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
Small Milkweed Bug
A boldly patterned red-and-black seed bug that feeds on milkweed seeds and sequesters toxic cardiac glycosides. Its warning coloration advertises its chemical defense to predators.
Did You Know?
It stores milkweed toxins in its body, making it taste terrible to birds and other predators that try to eat it.
Cave Cixiid
A remarkable cave-adapted planthopper from Hawaiian lava tubes that has lost its eyes and wings. Its body is pale and depigmented, adapted to complete darkness.
Did You Know?
This eyeless cave-dwelling planthopper was one of the first species used to study speciation in cave systems, with different populations in separate lava tubes diverging into distinct species.