Squash bug

Vegetable gardens, fields, and woodland edges, especially around squash, pumpkins, and other cucurbits.

Adults and nymphs suck sap from cucurbit leaves, stems, and fruit using piercing-sucking mouthparts. They may also feed on plant fluids from related squash-family plants.

Adults overwinter in plant debris and emerge in spring to mate and lay clustered eggs on leaf undersides. They are sluggish, emit a strong odor when disturbed, and often hide beneath foliage or debris.

They can wilt plants, damage fruit, and occasionally transmit cucurbit yellow vine disease. They provide limited food for predators but are generally considered garden pests.