There are 3,000 known species of tortoise beetle in the world. Their name comes from the fact that they resemble a turtle because of the forward and sideways extensions of the body. In Panama about half of the species deposit their eggs in masses, and the larvae remain together through pupation. Even as adult beetles, they do not disperse very far; feeding and mating can occur on the same plant that the beetles hatched upon. Because of such sedentary habits tortoise beetles are predictable and exposed targets for predators and parasites. Some species have evolved strategies to counteract the low survival rate that results. Maternal guarding, a rare behaviour among beetles, is known in four of these species. The female of Acromis sparsa (shown) climbs on top of her closely packed brood, defending them from predators such as ants and wasps. (Encyclopaedia Britannica). I was lucky enough to witness this amazing behavior in Panama at the Cocobolo Nature Reserve.