Fauna
Insect

Red-femured Milkweed Borer

Tetraopes femoratus

Also known as Red-legged Milkweed Beetle, Red-femured Milkweed Longhorn Beetle

Bright reddish-orange with distinct black spots, the red-femured milkweed borer relies on milkweed plants for its entire life cycle. Adults feed on foliage and flowers, sequestering cardiac glycosides that render them unpalatable to potential predators. When picked up or threatened, these beetles make a faint squeaking sound by rubbing parts of their thorax together.

Brightly ColoredInsectHerbivore
Red-femured Milkweed Borer reference1 / 7
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyShowy Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Weed
Predators
  • Spiders
  • Robber Flies
  • Praying Mantises
ThreatsHabitat loss and removal of host milkweed plants
HabitatsFields, prairies, meadows, and roadsides
Life span1 year (adults live several weeks)
Classification
  1. OrderColeoptera
  2. FamilyCerambycidae
  3. GenusTetraopes
  4. SpeciesTetraopes femoratus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Observation: Search milkweed patches during warm summer afternoons when adults feed on leaves.
  • Identification: Check the leg joints; this species features reddish upper leg segments unlike its black-legged relatives.
  • Handling: Gentle handling may trigger a squeaking stridulation sound as a defense.
Related species
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