Check out the Golden Tortoise Beetle: Are they really made of gold?

Image of Golden Tortoise by CharlesLam

The Golden Tortoise Beetle is indeed a fascinating sighting. These amazingly handsome beetles could easily be mistaken for small chunks of 24ct gold, and rightly so.

Their shells can gleam a beautiful but shocking display of that familiar yellow precious metal. The Golden Tortoise Beetle can adjust the moisture content between the two layers of its wing covers, which results in a vast variety of golden iridescence.

An excellent starting place to look for these impressive little creatures would be on the leaves of Morning Glories, their preferred food. If you happen to be lucky enough to cross paths with the Golden Tortoise Beetle, take a moment to relish in the dazzling designs of Mother Nature.