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Story: Insect pests of crops, pasture and forestry

Eucalyptus tortoise beetle

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Eucalyptus tortoise beetle

This insect is so named because its back looks like a tiny tortoise shell. The pest is responsible for a decline in planting the Eucalyptus nitens tree, a species widely favoured for wood fibre. Studies are in progress to find a way to control this beetle and find other useful eucalyptus species.

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How to cite this page

Alison Popay, Insect pests of crops, pasture and forestry – Forestry insect pests, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17994/eucalyptus-tortoise-beetle (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Alison Popay, published 1 March 2009.