This is a common widespread beetle found on plants in the morning glory family. The golden tortoise beetle is distributed widely in eastern North America but its distribution at Fontenelle Nature center is not known.

What controls the color while the insect is alive is not known. The gold color is caused by a thin layer of moisture between the cuticle and an inner layer of the elytra. Apparently the insect is able to “voluntarily” squeeze this layer, reducing its thickness and eliminating the gold color. This change also occurs involuntarily when the beetle is under moisture stress, or when it dies.