Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Forster, 1771)

Chapman, Eric G., Richards, Austin B. & Dupuis, Julian R., 2023, The longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Kentucky with notes on larval hosts, adult nectar use, and semiochemical attraction, Zootaxa 5229 (1), pp. 1-89 : 54-55

Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Forster, 1771) ; Tetraopini “red milkweed beetle” [new state record]

Distribution: Southern PQ and NS to NC to NM to southern MB. Kentucky records are statewide (Map 190).

Kentucky counties: Adair (1), Anderson (2), Ballard (1), Barren (2), Boone (13), Bourbon (2), Boyle (2), Breathitt (2), Breckinridge (2), Bullitt (3), Caldwell (1), Calloway (2), Campbell (3), Carter (2), Christian (1), Clark (1), Edmonson (1), Fayette (66), Floyd (1), Franklin (4), Garrard (1), Grant (4), Graves (2), Green (3), Hardin (23), Harlan (2), Henderson (2), Henry (1), Hopkins (2), Jackson (1), Jefferson (73), Kenton (12), Letcher (1), Lewis (1), Logan (2), Lyon (1), Madison (12), Mason (1), McCracken (1), Meade (4), Mercer (3), Metcalfe (1), Montgomery (7), Muhlenberg (3), Nelson (22), Nicholas (1), Ohio (1), Oldham (12), Pendleton (2), Powell (2), Robertson (1), Rockcastle (6), Rowan (20), Russell (1), Scott (9), Shelby (3), Spencer (1), Taylor (2), Trigg (15), Warren (8), Wayne (1), Wolfe (1), Woodford (2)

Years: 1889 (2), 1890 (1), 1891 (2), 1892 (24), 1893 (3), 1905 (1), 1910 (1), 1915 (1), 1924 (2), 1925 (2), 1932 (1), 1936 (8), 1937 (2), 1938 (13), 1944 (1), 1945 (6), 1946 (1), 1947 (23), 1948 (6), 1952 (1), 1957 (2), 1960 (1), 1962 (1), 1963 (1), 1964 (1), 1965 (11), 1966 (13), 1967 (2), 1968 (1), 1969 (2), 1970 (2), 1971 (18), 1972 (1), 1973 (1), 1974 (17), 1975 (18), 1976 (1), 1977 (1), 1979 (2), 1980 (6), 1981 (16), 1982 (1), 1983 (19), 1984 (7), 1989 (1), 1992 (1), 1994 (2), 2011 (3), 2012 (2), 2014 (2), 2015 (2), 2017 (9), 2018 (14), 2019 (12), 2020 (34), 2021 (57)

Months: April (1), May (11), June (240), July (119), August (11), October (3)

Collections (233 records, 385 specimens): ABRC (4), AMBC (1), BG (2), CMNH (11), EGCCRC (2), UKIC (230), UMNH (3), WKUC (6), iNat (126)

Collection methods: Malaise trap (11); Plants: Asclepias sp. (6), A. syrica (5), A. incarnata (2), A. cornuti (1), Lilium (1)

Larval host plants: Asclepias syrica ( Farrell & Mitter 1998) with other hosts including Apocynum cannabicum , Acerates viridiflora , and three other Asclepias spp. ( Monné & Nearns 2022d)

Comments: This is one of the most abundant cerambycid species in Kentucky, so its state record status is an indication of how cerambycids from Kentucky are under-reported in the literature. Adults are found on their hosts during the day.