ZonePlant

Pest on crop

Squash Bug on watermelon

Anasa tristis

Brown shield-shaped bugs that feed on cucurbit foliage and fruit, causing wilting and fruit-quality damage. Transmit cucurbit yellow vine disease.

Pest
Squash Bug
Scientific name
Anasa tristis
Crop
Watermelon
Total hosts
5

Squash Bug on watermelon

Detailed guidance for this section is being prepared. Check back soon.

Signs on watermelon

  • Bronze-colored egg clusters on leaf undersides
  • Wilting and yellow speckled foliage (looks like spider mite damage)
  • Adult bugs and gray nymphs gathered on leaves and stems
  • Damaged fruit with sunken spots

IPM controls

  • Hand-pick adults and crush egg clusters every few days
  • Place boards on the ground near plants — bugs hide under at night, flip and squash in morning
  • Targeted insecticide on nymphs (adults are tough)
  • Sanitation: remove crop residue at season end to deny overwintering sites

Other crops affected by squash bug

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