Golden Tortoise Beetle Charidotella sexpunctata

This brilliant golden beetle looks like a tiny armored turtle, which is exactly where it got its common name "tortoise beetle." Native to the Americas and broadly distributed across the continent, it's evolved a remarkable shell-like appearance that echoes turtle anatomy. Previously classified as Metriona bicolor, it was reclassified into the genus Charidotella, a change that better reflects its genetic relationships to other leaf beetles. You'll find these shimmering beetles active throughout the Americas, from warmer regions all the way south to Argentina.