# Golden Tortoise Beetle

*Charidotella sexpunctata*

They can change color in minutes by moving fluid through layers of their transparent cuticle, effectively acting like a biological mood ring.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Chrysomelidae › Charidotella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, gardens, and forest edges where morning glory plants are abundant.
- **Diet:** Foliage of plants in the Convolvulaceae family, specifically morning glories and sweet potatoes.
- **Range:** North America, Central America
- **Size:** 5 to 7 mm in length; approximately the size of a pencil eraser.
- **Lifespan:** 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Widespread use of garden pesticides and loss of meadow habitats.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless. These beetles do not bite, sting, or carry toxins. Safe to observe closely or handle gently; if the beetle turns from gold to red, it is stressed and should be returned to its host plant.

## About

The golden tortoise beetle ( Charidotella sexpunctata ) is a species of beetle in the leaf beetle family, Chrysomelidae. It is native to the Americas.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/e4df09c6-d8dd-4a4a-a4c4-ba5ca2d34ad8
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/133439
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_tortoise_beetle
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/9764744/medium.jpg (Ryan Hodnett, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

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