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Red Milkweed Beetles Mating milkweed beetles with red and black aposematic coloring.<br />
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The scientific names are both derived from the Ancient Greek for &quot;four eyes.&quot; Many longhorn beetles have antennae that are situated very near the eye. However, in the red milkweed beetle, this adaptation has been carried to an extreme: the bases of the antennae actually bisect the eye. Odd, but interesting. Geotagged,Red Milkweed Beetles,Red milkweed beetle,Summer,Tetraopes,Tetraopes tetrophthalmus,United States,beetles,mating,milkweed beetles,red,wild love Click/tap to enlarge

Red Milkweed Beetles

Mating milkweed beetles with red and black aposematic coloring.

The scientific names are both derived from the Ancient Greek for "four eyes." Many longhorn beetles have antennae that are situated very near the eye. However, in the red milkweed beetle, this adaptation has been carried to an extreme: the bases of the antennae actually bisect the eye. Odd, but interesting.

    comments (2)

  1. I would not have noticed that, freaked me out when zooming and checking it. Posted 7 years ago
    1. Yeah, it's a totally weird feature. Maybe they work like bifocals. Posted 7 years ago

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The red milkweed beetle is a beetle in the family Cerambycidae. The binomial genus and species names are both derived from the Latin 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.

Similar species: Beetles
Species identified by Christine Young
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By Christine Young

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Uploaded Apr 11, 2018. Captured Jul 18, 2017 10:15 in Main St S, Southbury, CT 06488, USA.
  • Canon EOS 60D
  • f/5.6
  • 1/512s
  • ISO400
  • 100mm