Green Milkweed Leaf Beetle vs Peacock Katydid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Green Milkweed Leaf Beetle Peacock Katydid
Scientific Name Labidomera clivicollis Pterochroza ocellata
Order Coleoptera Orthoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Tettigoniidae
Size 8-12 mm 50-70 mm
Habitat Grasslands Forests
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America Amazon Basin, Guianas, Peru
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Green Milkweed Leaf Beetle

A large, handsome beetle with blue-black elytra marked with orange to cream-colored spots and a blue-black pronotum. It is commonly found on milkweed plants across North America.

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Did You Know?

Like monarch butterflies, this beetle sequesters toxic cardiac glycosides from milkweed, and its bold coloration warns predators of its unpalatability.

Peacock Katydid

A large katydid that mimics dead leaves at rest but reveals huge eyespots on its hind wings when threatened. The eyespot display startles predators.

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Did You Know?

When disturbed, it flashes vivid eyespots on its hindwings that resemble the stare of a large predator.