Smelly little Squash Bugs can ruin fruit and vegetable plants and their ability to survive winters can make them a chronic pest.
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.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Hemiptera
Family:Coreidae
Genus:Anasa
Species:tristis
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Anasa tristis
Category:
True Bug
Size (Adult; Length): 15mm to 17mm (0.59in to 0.66in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Colors: gray; black; brown; orange; yellow
