Have You Ever Seen a Golden Bug Like This?

Yesterday, I saw a cool little bug. I mean really cool. Normally I'm not into bugs, but this one really caught my eye.

My husband John and I were in the pool and John spotted it floating in the water. So, he scooped it out and put it on the side. When he called me over to look at it, I was thinking "Yeah, right. No such thing as a cool bug." I was wrong. This little bug is gold. As in metallic gold. I seriously thought it was a gold bead from a necklace or something.

Looking online, I found out this little golden bug is called a Golden Tortoise Beetle. It's nick named a Gold Bug. Yeah, makes sense. According to Wikipedia:

This beetle's color changes through its development, during mating, and during times of disturbance, such as touching by a researcher. Scientists have not examined the color-change mechanism in this species. However, color change in the related Panamanian Charidotella egregia, also called golden tortoise beetle, occurs when this beetle's elytra hydrate and dehydrate.^[3]Adults of both species can turn from shiny gold through reddish-brown when disturbed.

Well, I imagine floating in our pool would've hydrated him and definitely disturbed him at the same time! Luckily, he dried off quickly and was on his way again.