tortoise beetle

American  

[tawr-tuhs beet-l] / ˈtɔr təs ˌbit l /

noun

1. any of several turtle-shaped leaf beetles, as Chelymorpha cassidea argus tortoise beetle, or milkweed tortoise beetle, which resembles the ladybird beetle and feeds primarily on bindweed and milkweed.

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tortoise beetle British  

noun

1. a metallic-coloured leaf beetle of the genus Cassida, in which the elytra and terga cover the body like a shell

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Etymology

Origin of tortoise beetle

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

Golden tortoise beetle larvae have a posterior appendage called an anal fork that they can hang over themselves like an awning.

From National Geographic

When a predator approaches, golden tortoise beetle larvae will gather into a defensive circle, "like a herd of bison in a ring," Chaboo says.

From National Geographic

Recently, while shooting a tortoise beetle, I found that it kept flying off the leaf it was on and landing on my diffuser.

From Scientific American

Here’s a video showing the rapid colour change in a Panamanian tortoise beetle: Not much is known about why these beetles change colour the way they do, but Barrows suggested it has to do with defence and/or sexual signalling.

From Scientific American

Just how this illusion could be produced was discovered in 2007 by researchers from University of Numar in Belgium, who studied the very similar gold-to-red colour change in the Panamanian tortoise beetle.

From Scientific American