Subject: Clavate Tortoise Beetle
Geographic location of the bug: Andover, NJ
Date: 09/26/2018
Time: 06:40 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi Daniel,
Just wanted to share a photo from today of a beetle I almost never see – a Clavate Tortoise Beetle. I found this one trapped in the web of a cross orb-weaver, so quickly extricated it and pulled off the web strands. (Usually, I don’t interfere, but I couldn’t bear to let this one become dinner). This is only the third time I’ve seen one of these elusive little beetles. A short while later, he took off.
How you want your letter signed : Deborah Bifulco
Dear Deborah,
Thanks so much for sending in your image of a Clavate Tortoise Beetle. As always, your detailed images are a wonderful resource for our readers who are trying to identify insects they find.