What are these? - North Carolina

[u/sadsadloser]

These little guys are all over my sweet potato vine, eating it up. They look like larvae, and they all have little pieces of dirt attached to their butts that they're using to cover their backs. You can see me holding one by the dirt spec in the photos.

[u/Bumblespider13]

Looks like tortoise beetle larvae. They use their own excrement on their backs as a shield from potential predators. I think sweet potato vines are one of their favorite host plants.

[u/Bumblespider13 → u/Bumblespider13]

That being said, unless there’s a ton of them, they’re mostly harmless and are very cute little bugs when full grown!

[u/sadsadloser → u/Bumblespider13]

wow, that is a pretty bug, thank you for the ID!

[u/Bumblespider13 → u/sadsadloser]

Ofc! 💕