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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortoise beetle¹

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

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

From Project Gutenberg