# Mottled Tortoise Beetle

*Deloyala guttata*

The outer edge of this beetle's shell is completely transparent, acting like a structural glass window that camouflages the insect against green leaves.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Chrysomelidae › Deloyala
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Fields, gardens, agricultural areas, and weedy roadsides.
- **Diet:** Leaves of Convolvulaceae plants, including morning glories, sweet potato crops, and bindweed.
- **Range:** North America, Central America
- **Size:** 5 to 7 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** About 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Broad-spectrum chemical pesticides and intensive mechanical mowing of host weeds.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to humans. You can safely observe them closely on morning glory leaves. If one crawls onto your hand, let it walk off naturally or gently nudge it onto a plant; they do not bite, sting, or carry toxins.

## About

Deloyala guttata , the mottled tortoise beetle , is a species of tortoise beetle in the family Chrysomelidae. It is found in the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/b2ef25cf-b2cd-4487-9841-f02c6b1e3825
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132210
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deloyala guttata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/375139050/medium.jpg (Zygy, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.