Sorry, I thought I uploaded a pic. Hope this works.

Looks like a ladybug larvae to me. An early stage. I could be wrong though.

I don't see any ladybug larva. I see a beetle, but the picture is not very good for making an i.d.. If you could get another picture that shows the bug's entire body including the head and antennas it would help a lot.

Jay, I zoomed in on the picture and took a screenshot. It’s the pupa stage though. Sorry, I misspoke. Too many things in my head.

Yes, you are correct Iris. I forgot what the pupas looked like. The adults won't hurt the cats. I would guess the larvae could eat a newly hatched cat. The larva eat aphids mostly.

Ladybug larvae will eat butterfly eggs, and small cats.

Jay, the adult beetles as well as the larvae feed on insect eggs of any kind, small larvae, whitefly nymphs, aphids, and any other soft bodied critters that can't outrun them. The pupae are more or less quiescent.

Thank you! Ladybug pupa, interesting! I have seen lots of ladybug larva and adult beetles, but never saw a pupa before. I even once did one of those raising ladybug kits with my kids and don't recall seeing the pupa.

I will leave the ladybugs alone though, they haven't seemed to harm the monarch cats so far.

Thanks everyone!

Thought I'd give you all an update. I've seen so many of these ladybug pupa! Lots of adults too, obviously. There are at least 5 more pupa on my milkweed plants, and also, at least 10 monarch caterpillars. Here's my little ecosystem. Like I said, my plants are teeming with aphids so I think the ladybug larva have plenty to eat without bothering the cats.

Thanks so much for clearing it up for me. TBH, when I first saw the fat red pupa, my first thought was it was some monster aphid mother with millions of little aphids in her ready to burst out.

Sandpaper Tongue. I think you've been watching too many Starship Trooper reruns. LOL!!!!