Red Milkweed Beetle
Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
The adult is a bright red-and-black longhorn beetle found on common milkweed in fields, roadsides, and open sunny habitats. It feeds on milkweed leaves, buds, and flowers, often cutting leaf veins to reduce the sticky latex before eating. Its warning colors advertise the bitter compounds gained from its host plant. A notable feature is its divided eyes, with each eye split by the base of an antenna, giving the appearance of four eyes.
- Type
- Venom
- Conservation status
- NE
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Red Milkweed Beetle