I have quite a few butterfly weed plants and have had quite a few visits from Monarchs this year. One plant has these small red insects--are these beneficial? Or, are they competing with the butterflies?

Thank you for your help.

Teresa

Those are juvenile form of milkweed bugs

https://monarchjointventure.or...

Possibly milkweed bug nymphs. There is some adult bug on a leaf at the far right side of your photo that actually looks like the rear end of a white-crossed seed bug, but I can't see it too well. Many seed bug nymphs look similar at that stage. Check this site for the milkweed bug nymphs.

http://www.missouribotanicalga...

By the way, the Missouri Botanical Garden has an excellent website for all sorts of gardening-related information.

Thank you both very much. Both sites were helpful. I will allow my milkweed bug nymphs to hang around based upon what I read. As nmoasis noted, there is an adult bug hanging around the nymphs which i find unusual. One would think after the eggs are laid, that Mom would disappear. That bug matches the photos of milkweed bugs I found at the sites referenced.