This beetle is about 8-11mm (1/3 to ½ of an inch) long. The head and pronotum are black. It has yellow or orange elytra covered with dark blue to black spots . It looks like a chunky, overgrown ladybird beetle. It has hairs or bristles on all parts of the body.
It is found in meadows, roadsides and especially wetlands. Its host is various milkweeds especially swamp milkweed. This one was found on south stream trail. We would expect this beetle to be common in the wetlands of Fontenelle Forest.
It is also known as the milkweed leaf beetle. It is part of the orange and black milkweed mimicry complex, which include a variety of insects.
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