Golden Tortoise Beetle Larva (fecal shield)

Natural Habitat

Typically found on leaves of plants in the Convolvulaceae family, such as morning glories, sweet potatoes, and bindweed.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivorous; both larvae and adults feed chew holes in the leaves of their host plants.

Behavior Patterns

The most distinctive behavior is the construction of an 'anal shield' or 'fecal shield' carried over their back. They attach their own shed skins and excrement to a forked anal appendage and hold it over their body as camouflage and a defense mechanism against predators. When disturbed, they may wave this shield.

Risks & Benefits

Generally harmless to humans (they do not bite or sting). While they can cause aesthetic damage to garden plants like morning glories and sweet potatoes by eating holes in leaves, they rarely cause severe enough damage to kill the plant.

Identified on: 2/10/2026