Which family is associated with larvae found on milkweed?

• A. Cerambycidae larvae (Long-Horned Beetles)
• B. Culicidae larvae (mosquitoes)
• C. Danaidae (Milkweed Butterflies)
• D. Trichoptera larvae (caddisfly larvae)

Answer: (C)

Larvae that are found on milkweed belong to Danaidae, the milkweed butterflies. This group specializes on milkweed as their host plant, and their caterpillars feed directly on milkweed leaves, often evolving the ability to tolerate and sequester the plant’s toxins for defense. The monarch butterfly, a well-known member of this group, is the classic example of milkweed-feeding larvae.

The other options don’t fit because their larvae live in very different habitats or on different resources: long-horned beetle larvae are wood-borers in trees; mosquito larvae develop in water; and caddisfly larvae are aquatic and build cases in streams. Hence, the milkweed butterflies are the family most associated with larvae on milkweed.