Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Tetraopes tetrophthalmus, the red milkweed beetle, 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.
The milkweed beetle, an herbivore, is given this name because it is host-specific to common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). It has been reported on horsetail milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) in a disturbed site in Illinois.
Adults feed on the foliage and flowers of the plant, and the larvae feed on the roots. Therefore, much like the monarch butterfly, it is thought that the beetles derive some protection from predators by incorporating toxins from the plant into their bodies, thereby becoming distasteful. The red and black coloring are aposematic, advertising the beetles' inedibility.
These beetles feed by opening veins in the milkweed plant, decreasing the beetles' exposure to latex-like sap. When startled, the beetles make a shrill... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red Milkweed Beetle sighting in Boston on a given day, based on 584 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 1200 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and July
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Red Milkweed Beetle in Boston on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Milkweed Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 11 cities where we can rate Red Milkweed Beetle sightings, Boston ranks 4th at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, about 20%), Detroit (United States, about 20%) and Chicago (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Cerambycidae
The closest relatives of the Red Milkweed Beetle that you can see in Boston (family Cerambycidae, Longhorn Beetles) are Locust Borer (about 20%), Banded Longhorn Beetle (about 10%) and Broad-Necked Root Borer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Milkweed Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Boston (584 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
