FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata) is a type of metallic golden beetle that belongs to the family of the leaf beetle, the Chrysomelidae family. This type of beetle is different and unique from other beetle species as they have a transparent shell cover on their body and inside that is a golden colored beetle (yes, we promise they really are real!). They are given the name 'golden tortoise beetle' because of their transparent shell, which is very similar to the hard shell of a tortoise. Interesting, right?
After the much-loved butterflies, beetles are believed to be the second most attractive type of insects as their metallic color and their transparent shell are unique! This beetle grabs the attention of many people across the world. Another notable feature of the golden tortoise beetle is that they may or may not be found in the standard golden color as their color changes in every new stage of their life cycle. They are found in different colors during their mating period, development period, and also when a human touches them. Scientific research proves that they change color due to hydration or dehydration of the insect or elytra's body.
Here on our page, we have lots of amazing facts about the golden tortoise beetle that everyone will enjoy. Let's look at these interesting facts, and if you like these, then do read our longhorn beetle and dung beetle facts too.
The golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata) is an insect in the family of leaf beetles, Chrysomelidae, as these beetles feed on plants and leaves. The golden target tortoise beetle is also known as a golden bug because of its appearance.
The golden tortoise beetle, also known by the scientific name Metriona bicolor or sexpunctata, is of the arthropod phylum and belongs to the class of Insecta.
Golden tortoise beetles are native insects of North America. Populations of these insects are in growth and can be found in abundance, but this insect's exact population is not known to this date.
These Metriona bicolor tortoise beetles are insects that are found in areas of eastern America, including in Texas. These tortoise beetles are found in gardens on plant foliage and leaves. Their preferred host plants are the vines of sweet potatoes, bindweed, and some other related vines like morning glory.
The golden tortoise beetle's habitat is anywhere with plants and leaves. It may be a garden, forests, or bushes. These species stay and lay eggs on their host plants.
The social behavior of all species of Coleoptera is similar to that of families of termites and leafcutter ants, which means living together in large groups. Golden tortoise beetles are most commonly found living in groups or near each other. They lay eggs in clusters beside each other on the underside of their host plants.
The eggs of the golden tortoise beetle take five to 10 days to hatch, and the larvae fully mature in two to three weeks. After that, larvae start to pupate into adult golden tortoise beetles in the following days. The lifecycle of the golden tortoise beetle larvae to adult beetles takes around 40 days.
After tortoise beetles reach their maturity age, they come together for the mating process in the summer season. When mating is over, females feed themselves with weeds and start laying their eggs in clusters. Females hide their eggs on the underside of leaves, and after the eggs hatch in one week, the larva starts feeding on these leaves. The larva is flattened with many legs and is a reddish-brown color. A golden tortoise beetle larva shows a particular habit known as an 'anal fork' in which they carry their cast skins attached to their spines. This anal fork works as a type of shield for this species of Coleoptera.
These golden and orange tortoise beetle have the status of Least Concern and are found in abundance. This type of insect population has experienced large growth and has a steady population in North American regions, despite the presence of its predators.
As their name suggests, golden tortoise beetles are found in a metallic gold color covered with a transparent shell and golden skin. They are oval in shape and are the same size as Asian lady beetles. This elytra beetle has a metallic gold color with dark-colored markings and black spots on its side. The color of the beetle changes to orange or brown in every new stage of their life cycle, but scientific research for the exact reason for this color change is still going on.
Whether they are cute or not is subjective, but gold tortoise beetles are very attractive thanks to their bright colors. They are often seen as the second most attractive insects, just after butterflies, and deservingly so.
The adult gold tortoise beetle can communicate with other adults through the use of chemicals known as pheromones. They also use vibrations, sounds, and even body scents to recognize each other. The body scents of males and females are very different in this species.
The gold tortoise beetle is very small in size, and the average size that they are found is around 0.19 to 0.27 in (4.8-6.8 mm) long. These adult beetles are much smaller than the average coin.
All species of beetles are known to move quite fast, and so do gold tortoise beetles. These creatures can hide fast on surface bores when they feel threatened. Their young larvae also start crawling quickly and can hide away quickly. Their exact speed, however, is not known.
The weight of golden tortoise beetles can be around 1.8 oz (50 g).
There is no specific name for male or female adults of the golden tortoise beetle species. These adults are simply referred to as male golden tortoise beetles and female golden tortoise beetles.
Babies of these golden tortoise beetles can be called larvae when their eggs hatch and are called pupae when they are in the stage before becoming adults. The name of the baby depends on the stage in which the beetle is in.
Gold tortoise beetles usually feed on foliage and the garden vines like sweet potato vines, morning glory vines, and weeds like bindweed. Larvae start feeding on the leaves of the plant that they were laid on as an egg. They are not known to be predators of any creatures.
Gold tortoise beetles are not harmful creatures to humans, but they can damage the vines and leaves of plants easily and drill irregular holes on the surface of these leaves. These creatures ruin the ornamental value of a plant as they munch on it.
No, golden tortoise beetles cannot be good pets. Due to their short lifespan, their specific diet, and their preferred habitat, these creatures cannot live with humans, so it is better to leave them in the wild.
Like golden tortoise beetles, a mottled tortoise beetle's color also fades to a duller brown-red when its lifespan is near its end.
The golden tortoise beetle's larvae have a particular display, known as the anal fork, which is a type of shield that is used to protect themselves from predators.
Whilst we cannot really buy golden tortoise beetles (they are best left in their natural environment), you can often buy models of them from craft stores or handmade gift companies.
The gold tortoise beetle is known for its color-changing habit, which is not intentional. The color changes of this beetle when its elytra are dehydrated or hydrated. It is also said that their color changes in every stage of their lifespan and also when they are in the breeding period.
Golden tortoise beetles are known for their eating habits and for destroying vegetation. Are you wondering what you'd have to do if this beetle is destroying your garden? The best way to get rid of these vegetation-eating beetles is using neem oil (this should only be used by a responsible adult). It is the best solution as it works against these beetles and because these creatures do not like neem, they will leave your garden at the sight of neem oil, meaning that you shouldn't have to kill them.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other insects from our giant clam facts and Mydas fly facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Golden Tortoise Beetle coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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