Common Sieve Tortoise Beetle

Chelymorpha cribraria · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Chrysomelidae

Also called: Polka Dot Tortoise Beetle, Tortoise beetle

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Common Sieve Tortoise Beetle
Photo: unknown, CC0

It is found in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and North America.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Its coloration and rounded shape lead people to confuse it with the neotropical tortoise beetle.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

Because of its similar color and shape, it is frequently mistaken for the neotropical tortoise beetle.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida.

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Months it is reported in the US

JFMAMJJASOND

Source: GBIF

More photos

Common Sieve Tortoise Beetle photo 3
Photo: unknown, CC0
Common Sieve Tortoise Beetle photo 4
Photo: unknown, CC0
Common Sieve Tortoise Beetle photo 5
Photo: Ben Machado, CC BY
Common Sieve Tortoise Beetle photo 6
Photo: Eridan Xharahi, CC BY

Same family (Chrysomelidae)

Spotted Cucumber BeetleSpotted Cucumber BeetleDiabrotica undecimpunctataDamages trees, gardens or cropsBean WeevilBean WeevilAcanthoscelides obtectusDamages trees, gardens or cropsCowpea WeevilCowpea WeevilCallosobruchus maculatusDamages trees, gardens or cropsSwamp Milkweed Leaf BeetleSwamp Milkweed Leaf BeetleLabidomera clivicollisDamages trees, gardens or cropsAlder Leaf BeetleAlder Leaf BeetleAgelastica alniDamages trees, gardens or cropsDogbane Leaf BeetleDogbane Leaf BeetleChrysochus auratus

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelymorpha_cribraria

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.