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Pest Management Priducts Division of CSPA
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Boxelder bugs are found in most parts of the United States. Although there are other closely related insects that look like them, including the milkweed bug, none are likely to congregate in huge numbers like boxelder bugs. These insects belong to the order Hemiptera or true bugs, which are characterized by the possession of piercing mouthparts specially adapted for sucking the juices of plants or animals. The boxelder bug feeds on woody plants and herbs and originally earned it's name because it was found to infest boxelder trees although this insect now also infests many other species of trees including maple, apple and almond. In the US two species predominate, the Eastern Oxelder bug (Boisea trivittatus), which is found east of the Rocky Mountains, and the Western Boxelder bug (Boisea rubrolineatus), which is found west of the Rockies.