Tetraopes tetrophthalmus

The red milkweed beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) is a beetle in the family Cerambycidae. The binomial genus and species names are both derived from the Ancient Greek for "four eyes." As in many longhorn beetles, the antennae are situated very near the eye–in the red milkweed beetle, this adaptation has been carried to an extreme: the antennal base actually bisects the eye. (See Figure 1.) The milkweed beetle, a herbivore, is given this name because they are generally host specific to milkweed plants (genus Asclepias). It is thought the beetle, which as an adult feeds on the foliage of the plant, and its early instars, which eat the roots,[1] derive a measure of protection from predators by incorporating toxins from the plant into their bodies, thereby becoming distasteful, much as the monarch butterfly and its larvae do. They feed by opening veins in the milkweed plant, decreasing the beetles' exposure to latex-like sap. [2] When startled, the beetles make a shrill noise. When interacting with another beetle, they make a 'purring' noise. [3] The red and black coloring are aposematic, advertising the beetles' inedibility. There are many milkweed-eating species of insect that use the toxins contained in the plant as a chemical defense. Red milkweed beetles lay egg-clutches in mid-summer near the roots of the milkweed.

For the blue milkweed beetle, see Chrysochus cobaltinus.

Red milkweed beetle
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Cerambycidae
Genus:
Tetraopes
Species:
T. tetrophthalmus
Binomial name
Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
Forster, 1771
Synonyms
  • Cerambyx tetrophthalmus Forster, 1771
  • Lamia tornator Fabricius, 1775
  • Lamia 13-punctata Drapiez, 1820
  • Tetraopes humeralis Casey, 1913
  • Tetraopes tetrophthalmus iowensis Casey, 1913
Mating pair
Detail showing bisected eyes

References
  1. Erwin, Alex; Zust, Tobias; Ali, Jared (19 March 2014). "Above-ground herbivory by red milkweed beetles facilitates above- and below-ground conspecific insects and reduces fruit production in common milkweed". Journal of Ecology. 104 (4). doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12248. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  2. "Tetraopes tetraphthalmus: the Milkweed Dweller". HomeClassificationHabitat Form. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  3. "Form and Function". HomeClassificationHabitat Form. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  • Red Milkweed Beetle Find large format reference quality diagnostic photographs and more information.
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