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BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008

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Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Long-horned and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea) » Longhorned Beetles (Cerambycidae) » Flat-Faced Longhorns (Lamiinae) » Tetraopini » Milkweed Longhorns (Tetraopes) » Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)

Species Tetraopes tetrophthalmus - Red Milkweed Beetle

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Milkweed Longhorn - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

Milkweed borer - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

Red Milkweed Beetle? - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Red Milkweed Beetle) - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

red insect with black dots - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Chrysomeloidea (Long-horned and Leaf Beetles)

Family Cerambycidae (Longhorned Beetles)

Subfamily Lamiinae (Flat-Faced Longhorns)

Tribe Tetraopini

Genus Tetraopes (Milkweed Longhorns)

Species tetrophthalmus (Red Milkweed Beetle)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Tetraopes tetraophthalmus (alternate spelling)

Explanation of Names

TETRAOPHTHALMUS: from the Greek "tettares" (four) + "ophthalmos" (the eye); refers to the four eyes of the adult

Size

body length 8-15 mm

Identification

Adult: orangish-red with black spots and four black eyes (two above the antennae, and two below); combination of broad, disk-shaped hump (callus) on pronotum, strong elytral spots, especially the broad subhumeral spot, and unringed antennae are distinctive for this species (1).

Range

Central and eastern North America north of Florida.

Habitat

Meadows, roadsides with milkweed

Season

Adults May-September (in northeast).

Food

Larvae feed on milkweed (Asclepias spp.), especially Common Milkweed (A. syriaca), and dogbane (Apocynum spp.) (1)

Life Cycle

Eggs are laid on stems near ground or just below surface. Larvae bore into stems, overwinter in roots, and pupate in spring. Adults emerge in early summer (2).

See Also

Tetraopes femoratus

Print References

Yanega, p. 148, fig. 236a,b (1)

Milne, p. 600, fig. 143 (2)

Dillon, p. 657, plate LXV (3)

Rea fig. 184--photo (4)

Salsbury, p. 227--photo (5)

Brimley, p. 220, lists T. tetraophthalmus and T. canteriator (?) for North Carolina (6).

Arnett et al., pp. 314-315, fig. 738 (7)

Papp, p. 233, fig. 771 (8)

White, pp. 288-289, fig. 125 (9)

Internet References

Insects of Cedar Creek live adult images (U. of Minnesota)

Cirrus Digital Imaging live adult images (Bruce Marlin, Illinois)

North Carolina State University--cites 281 pinned specimens, including specimens from that state.

Works Cited

1.	Field Guide to Northeastern Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) By Douglas Yanega

2.	National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders By Lorus and Margery Milne

3.	A Manual of Common Beetles of Eastern North America By Dillon, Elizabeth S., and Dillon, Lawrence

4.	Milkweed, Monarchs and More: A Field Guide to the Invertebrate Community in the Milkweed Patch By Ba Rea, Karen Oberhauser, Michael Quinn

5.	Insects in Kansas By Glenn A. Salsbury and Stephan C. White

6.	Insects of North Carolina By C.S. Brimley

7.	How to Know the Beetles By Ross H. Arnett, N. M. Downie, H. E. Jaques

8.	Introduction to North American Beetles By Charles S. Papp

9.	Peterson Field Guides: Beetles By Richard E. White

Contributed by Cotinis on 24 March, 2004 - 4:25am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod
Last updated 2 July, 2006 - 5:19am

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