INSECTS
Red Milkweed Beetle
Beetle in the family Cerambycidae. Lives in fields.
There are 998 observations of Red Milkweed Beetle in Québec, mostly in Montréal, Montérégie and Outaouais, and it has been reported in 12 of the 17 regions. They peak in July and become rare from September to May.
Caution
⚠Toxicity
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.
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