Is this fruit of something? (bugs, insects, Minnesota, Missouri)

[6oo9]

And what are the insects on it?

[reneeh63]

Milkweed? If you open the pods do you see silky white strands with brown flat seed?

Great for monarch butterflies but not a fruit.

[6oo9]

Thanks for the information ... It's in a park. I can not do anything to it.

[saibot]

Those orange insects are aphids. My milkweed always gets aphids of the same color.

[sheerbliss]

Those are milkweed bug nymphs, not aphids.
Milkweed bugs

[saibot]

Well, what do you know! Milkweed does get bright orange aphids, too, though--at least ours does. Sorry for the error.

[Lodestar]

You may be able to pick fruits from parks in your state. In Minnesota we can. We just can't use them for profit - only our own use.

Here people sometimes pick these once they have opened and dried and use them in fall bouquets.

This plant supports the Monarch butterfly so picking in the spring is ill-advised.

[ukiyo-e]

Anything that contains seeds of an angiosperm plant is botanically considered a "fruit." The milkweed pod is a type of fruit called a "follicle."

[NS123]

Sorry, I don't know what is this. But I just like this photo. Good job!