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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 · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Works Cited
Red Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Red Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus red insect with black dots - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Red Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus Red Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus large milkweed beetle? - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus 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)
Other Common Names
RMB
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Orig. Comb: Cerambyx tetrophthalmus Forster 1771
Syn: tetraophthalmus (spelling)
Explanation of Names
Greek tettares 'four' + ophthalmos 'eye' (refers to the eyes of the adult each divided into two)
Numbers
13 spp. n. of Mex. (1)
Size
8-15 mm (2)
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 (2).
Range
MO-NC-ME-MN / adj. Can (BG Data)
Habitat
Prairies, roadsides, very common where hostplant present
Season
Jun-Aug (BG data) (May-Sep (2))
Food
Host: milkweed (Asclepias spp., esp. A. syriaca) and dogbane (Apocynum) (2).
Farrell & Mitter (1998) state that T. tetrophthalmus is associated solely with Asclepias syriaca.
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(3)
Print References
Farrell, B.D., & C. Mitter. 1998. The timing of insect/plant diversification: might Tetraopes (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Asclepias (Asclepiadaceae) have co-evolved? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 63: 553–577 (Full text)
Works Cited
1.American Beetles, Volume II: Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea
By Arnett, R.H., Jr., M. C. Thomas, P. E. Skelley and J. H. Frank. (eds.)
2.Field Guide to Northeastern Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
By Douglas Yanega
3.National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
By Lorus and Margery Milne
Contributed by Cotinis on 24 March, 2004 - 4:25am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 9 February, 2012 - 1:41pm

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