Meet Charidotella sexpunctata:
More than 30 years ago, golden tortoise beetles became the first known insect species with the ability to rapidly change colour during copulation. They also do it when disturbed or agitated by predators. Since then, other species of tortoise beetle, such as the Panamanian tortoise beetle (Charidotella egregia), have been found to do the same. Reversible color change is extremely rare, but not unheard of in insects – in Australia, male members of the dragonfly genus Austrolestes and the grasshopper genus Kosciuscola can switch from black to a brilliant blue due to changes in temperature. What sets the colour-changing tortoise beetles apart, however, is that the colour change is controlled by them, in response to specific events in their environment, such as being poked by a curious human or stumbling upon a willing mate.
Watch a video of the remarkable change here.
(Hat tip: Science Alert; Image from Project Noah's Chimetsetan)
The Dish 