Advertisement

Advertisement

tortoise beetle

[ tawr-tuhs beet-l ]

noun

  1. 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

noun

  1. 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


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortoise beetle1

First recorded in 1705–15
Discover More

Example Sentences

Cassida viridis, a tortoise beetle, Rsel tells us, covers her group of eggs with a partially transparent membrane.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


tortoisetortoise brooch