Golden Tortoise Beetle

Gardens, fields, and forest edges where morning glory, sweet potato, and related plants grow.

Herbivorous, feeding primarily on the leaves of plants in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae).

They are known for their ability to rapidly change their color and metallic sheen from brilliant gold to dull reddish-brown when disturbed or handled, due to changes in fluid layers beneath their transparent shell.

They pose no significant risk to humans, though they can be minor agricultural pests if their numbers are high on crops like sweet potatoes. They do not bite or sting and are ecologically harmless.