This beetle is 1/3 to ½ inch long. It is greyish in color with a single black spot on the head. Tortoise beetles bodies are somewhat shell-like in appearance. The body margins extend in a roof-like manner over much of the head and legs.
It is often found on its host plant, members of the Monarda genus (also known as horsemint, beebalm and bergamot) in the mint family. Its occurrence at Fontenelle Nature Centers is not known.
This beetle is also known as the Beebalm Tortoise Beetle, Bergamot Tortoise Beetle, and One-spotted Tortoise Beetle. Larvae wave their own excrement over their bodies as a defensive shield.
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