Identify this 3-4 mm winged visitor to clusters of tiny white flowers

[Asher Kelman]

Only when I focused on these tiny flowers did I realize that amber colored insects were visiting too!

Any ideas on identification of Tge plant or the insect

​

Asher

 

[Paul Iddon]

The insect is I think one of the Nysius chinch bugs (Lygaeidae).

The flower is snakeroots.

Paul.

 

[Asher Kelman]

The insect is I think one of the Nysius chinch bugs (Lygaeidae).

The flower is snakeroots.

Paul.

Thanks, Paul!

So do think this is a “false” chinch bug?

I was stunned to discover that the plant indirectly poisoned the mother of a President via its wind-borne toxic seeds***!

Asher

***“The plant that killed a president’s mother. White snake root, also known as Eupatorium rugosum, is a highly poisonous plant native to North America. It contains an an extremely high level of the toxin tremetol, which is not known for killing humans directly, but indirectly. After blooming, small fluffy white seeds are easily blown away with the wind. When the plant is eaten by livestock, the toxin is absorbed into their milk and meat. When humans eat the beef or drink the milk from these tainted cows, the toxin enters the body and causes something called milk sickness, which is highly fatal. Thousands of European settlers died from milk sickness in America at the beginning of the 19th century. Milk Sickness also claimed the life of Nancy Hanks who was Abraham Lincoln’s mother.”

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

I kind of figured Paul would come along with the answer for the insect as he is our resident " bug guy" LOL. As for the plant, I had never seen it before but found it both interesting and incredible. I would guess they are always checking a cow's milk for this disease if these plants live anywhere near a dairy farm.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I kind of figured Paul would come along with the answer for the insect as he is our resident " bug guy" LOL. As for the plant, I had never seen it before but found it both interesting and incredible. I would guess they are always checking a cow's milk for this disease if these plants live anywhere near a dairy farm.

I would hope so, Maggie!

But it seems so irresponsible for a city to actually PLANT a poisonous plant in an a public place! Imagine other such compounds getting into milk! This could be a relatively unexplored path to all sorts of maladies effecting people!

If something can kill you, who knows whether it could trigger depression, schizophrenia or chronic fatigue!

I am staggered by my ignorance of this path of human affliction!

Asher

 

[Paul Iddon]

Yes Asher - I think it is - there are possible others but this is a good ID which made it easy enough to track down.

Paul.