Milkweed longhorn beetle (Tetraopes sp.)

I saw this beetle flying through the landscape and gently placed it on its host plant. Who could miss the little bright red meteor against the (now) dry, brown landscape! These beetles consume milkweed and incorporate the milkweed toxins into their tissues - thus the bright red warning coloration.

 

Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve, San Diego County, California

June 3, 2021

Done