Squash Bug - (Anasa tristis)

Smelly little Squash Bugs can ruin fruit and vegetable plants and their ability to survive winters can make them a chronic pest.

Staff Writer (1/25/2017): Squash bugs are similar in appearance to Stink bugs. Both emit an odor when crushed, but squash bugs tend to feed on melons and squash while stink bugs feed on legumes like beans and peas. Squash Bugs suck on the juices of plant stems, leaves and fruits, leaving gaping wounds that eventually destroy the part of the plant they are feeding from.

This hardy insect can survive the winter by hiding in beds of dead leaves and other debris. If they cannot find adequate shelter, they will die in the frost. Clearing yards of leaf litter and debris can help in preventing a backyard infestation from returning the next summer.

Females lay hoards of eggs under leaves of plants they drink from. The brown metallic eggs will hatch and the young powdery nymphs are green with pinkish-red legs. They will feed on the leaves of the plant, causing them to dry out. Weather permitting, one or two generations can be produced every year.

©2005-2017 www.InsectIdentification.org. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction Permitted. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from www.InsectIdentification.org is strictly prohibited. Material presented throughout this website is for entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for scientific research or medical advice (insect bites, etc...). Please consult licensed, degreed professionals for such information. Email corrections / Comments to InsectIdentification at Gmail dot com.

Details of the:
Squash Bug

Category: True Bug
Common name: Squash Bug
Scientific Name: Anasa tristis

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Coreidae

Genus: Anasa

Species: tristis

Size (Adult, Length): 15mm to 17mm (0.59in to 0.67in)

Identifying Colors: gray; black; brown; orange; yellow

Additional Descriptors: flying, bands, stripes

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Idaho; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin; Wyoming; Alberta; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Saskatchewan; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

BUGFINDER: What Kind of Bug is This...

BUGFINDER allows for a quick search of the Insect Identification database by selecting primary color, secondary color, number of legs and the territory / state in question. If only one color is present on your insect, select it again as its SECONDARY color. Remember that the more details you can offer, the better your chances of finding a match. As a rule of thumb, six legs are typical for most insects whereas spiders generally have eight legs.

Primary Color:

Secondary Color:

Number of Legs:

State / Province:

General Category: