Golden Tortoise Beetle Larvae

DeepWoods

Golden Tortoise Beetle Larvae Charidotella sexpunctata
Observed feeding on Ivy-leaved Morning-Glory (Ipomoea hederacea).
Specimen would raise and then lower it's fecal "shell" that it was carrying.

Golden Tortoise Beetle Larvae: Larvae are broad and flattened and adorned with branched spines. Their thoracic legs are short and thick, and unlike many chrysomelids they lack an anal proleg. The color of the larva is yellowish to reddish-brown. There are three larval instars. The larvae display the habit of carrying their cast skins and fecal material attached to spines arising from the posterior end of their body, a structure called an "anal fork." The anal fork is movable, and is usually used to hold the debris over the back of the body, forming a "shield" which deters predation. Larvae mature in 14 to 21 days.

Lord Vetinari

Lovely shots and observations- what a weird looking creature

Brian V.

DeepWoods

@Lord Vetinari said:
Lovely shots and observations- what a weird looking creature

Brian V.

Thanks Brian!...and I agree...weird looking for sure and strange habit.

e6filmuser

Well done. You almost got one looking tidy!

I get the common green species. (Not, so far, this year).

Harold

spanky117ab

Very nice, ive captured something similar to this but never had any idea what it was.

DeepWoods

@e6filmuser said:
Well done. You almost got one looking tidy!

I get the common green species. (Not, so far, this year).

Harold

Thanks!...hopefully you will see some there soon.

@spanky117ab said:
Very nice, ive captured something similar to this but never had any idea what it was.

Thanks!!...I had never seen these before so I had no idea what it was at first..Nature is crazy and so very interesting!