Meet The Golden Tortoise Beetle – Treasure With Legs (Video + 5 Pics)

Have you ever seen these little specs of gold with legs? These tiny treasures are called golden tortoise beetles (Charidotella sexpunctata). They look very similar to ladybird beetles and can be found feasting on all types of plants, all over the world. They get their funny name from their peculiar structure, specifically their hardened wing covers which protect its flying wings.

Tortoise beetles get their funny name from the peculiar structure of their elytra — the hardened wing covers that protect the flying wings in beetles — which have a flattened ridge outlining the body and concealing the head and legs, much like a tortoise. Entomologists suspect this feature allows them to hunker down and tuck in their body parts when under attack from a predator.