tortoise beetle

American

[tawr-tuhs beet-l] / ˈtɔr təs ˌbit l /

noun

any of several turtle-shaped leaf beetles, as Chelymorpha cassidea argus tortoise beetle, or milkweed tortoise beetle, which resembles the ladybird beetle and feeds primarily on bindweed and milkweed.

tortoise beetle British

noun

a metallic-coloured leaf beetle of the genus Cassida, in which the elytra and terga cover the body like a shell

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tortoise beetle

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When a predator approaches, golden tortoise beetle larvae will gather into a defensive circle, "like a herd of bison in a ring," Chaboo says.

From National Geographic

Golden tortoise beetle larvae have a posterior appendage called an anal fork that they can hang over themselves like an awning.

From National Geographic

Recently, while shooting a tortoise beetle, I found that it kept flying off the leaf it was on and landing on my diffuser.

From Scientific American

Publishing in The Coleopterists Bulletin in 1979, professor of biology Edward M. Barrows from Georgetown University described the results of his investigation into the mating and colour change of the golden tortoise beetle.

From Scientific American

Credit: magickcanoe.com The golden tortoise beetle, and some other species in its subfamily, is able to change colours due to an optical illusion.

From Scientific American

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023