Alder Leaf Beetle vs Red Milkweed Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Alder Leaf Beetle Red Milkweed Beetle
Scientific Name Agelastica alni Tetraopes tetrophthalmus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Cerambycidae
Size 6-7 mm 9-14 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Root Feeders
Regions Europe, Western Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Alder Leaf Beetle

A metallic dark violet-blue beetle that feeds on alder trees. Heavy infestations can completely defoliate alder trees along waterways.

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Did You Know?

After being absent from Britain for decades, it dramatically recolonised southern England in the early 2000s.

Red Milkweed Beetle

A bright red beetle with black spots, exclusively associated with common milkweed. Its antennae bisect its compound eyes, giving it four apparent eyes.

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Did You Know?

Its scientific name means 'four eyes, four eyes,' referring to how antennae split each eye in two.