The Golden Tortoise Beetle

There have been limited biological studies done on the Goldbug and the consensus seems to be that this is because they are not a threat to agriculture. Their relativity low numbers and preference for specific plants are the reasons for this. Goldbugs feed primarily on the leaves and flowers of morning glories and sweet potatoes. If they run out of their preferred foods, they may move on to other members of the Convulvulaceae family, but they don’t stray far from that. The damage caused by these beetles is mostly cosmetic and will not lead to long-term problems or crop loss. That being said, you may still want them out of your area. If that’s the case, it is best to remove them manually when they appear. Insecticides are not recommended as the potential for harm to the garden far outweighs the damage Goldbugs can do. If you are maintaining a garden that is well-fed and well-watered, with minimal weeds, you will probably never even see these bugs.