HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

TORTOISE BEETLE

Roughly a quarter of the animal species identified so far are beetles, and their world-beating success is partly down to uniquely versatile body armour. Beetles own a pair of tough wing-cases, or elytra, that snap shut and act as swing doors for the hind wings underneath. In tortoise beetles, which can look a bit like tiny versions of their reptilian namesakes, the elytra really are special. “Tortoise beetles feed on top of leaves, leaving them vulnerable to predation,” says Dr Ashleigh Whiffin, an entomologist at National Museums Scotland. “While some colourmatch their elytra to host plants, in species such as

Acromis sparsa (above) the edges are totally transparent. These areas are devoid of pigment, so the leaf below is visible, hiding the insect’s telltale shape.” Tortoise beetle larvae, meanwhile, have a somewhat less glamorous disguise. “They collect their faeces to use as a shield,” says Whiffin. “The faecal shield is attached to a telescoping anus, so they can even move it around if attacked!”