| Latin Name | Observation Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Cassidinae | May 26, 2026 | Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh |
After taking the picture, what I found out about this strange insect by searching the internet is truly amazing. Let's find out some scientific information about this garden insect:
Common name: Tortoise Beetle Larva.
Subfamily: Cassidinae.
Size and characteristics: They are very small in size, only 5 to 8 millimeters in length. The most surprising thing about them is the umbrella on their back. To avoid being eaten by birds or other predators, they create such a strange cover on their back with their feces and old shells. No one comes near them anymore, thinking they are dirt. This is a great strategy for their self-defense.
Habitat: They are more often seen under the leaves of slightly shaded areas in the bushes, orchards or crop fields of our village.
Diet:
They are completely vegetarian. Their main food is the fresh green leaves of trees. By eating these leaves, they gradually grow and eventually turn into full-fledged turtles.
Contribution to nature:
Although they look thorny and strange, they do not harm humans or bite. They actually benefit us by eating some of the vines and weeds in the garden. Sometimes they make small holes in the leaves of fruits or vegetables, but they are so small that they do not cause much harm to the plants. On the contrary, they maintain the balance of nature's ecosystem by eating small birds or spiders in the garden.
You would not believe it if you did not see it with your own eyes that there are such strange insects hiding in our familiar environment.
How did you like the pictures of these insects disguised as dirt? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Everyone be wel.
I learned about them from various sites including iNaturalist, Wikipedia and Google.
(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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| Camera Used | Samsung SM-G973F |
|---|---|
| F-Stop | F2.4 |
| ISO speed | ISO |
| Focal length | 26mm |
| Flash | No |
| Editing app | MIX |
| Cassidinae | Tortoise Beetle Larva (Stratiomyinae) |
| Photographer |  @mshbd |
| Location | Purulia, Natore, Bangladesh |
| Link to original community |
|---|
| https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/366307642 |
| Latitude | Longitude | Map Link |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3078 | 89.1117 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?#map=12/24.3078/89.1117 |
