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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Moths » Sesioidea » Clearwing Moths (Sesiidae) » Sesiinae » Melittiini » Melittia » Squash Vine Borer - Hodges#2536 (Melittia cucurbitae)

Species Melittia cucurbitae - Squash Vine Borer - Hodges#2536

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Squash Vine Borer - Melittia cucurbitae Squash Vine Borer?? - Melittia cucurbitae Squash Vine Borer?? - Melittia cucurbitae Type of moth?? - Melittia cucurbitae Red Mystery Insect - Bee? Fly? Moth? - Melittia cucurbitae Some kind of weird bee..?? anybody ??? - Melittia cucurbitae Bee , beetle , moth ? - Melittia cucurbitae unknown bug on Joe Pye Weed - Melittia cucurbitae
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
No Taxon (Moths)
Superfamily Sesioidea
Family Sesiidae (Clearwing Moths)
Subfamily Sesiinae
Tribe Melittiini
Genus Melittia
Species cucurbitae (Squash Vine Borer - Hodges#2536)
Hodges Number
2536
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Melittia cucurbitae (Harris, 1828)
Melittia satyriniformis
* polygenetic sequence #079450
Explanation of Names
cucurbit Latin for gourd(1)
Numbers
Six Melittia species occur in America north of Mexico.
Size
Winspan 25-32 mm
Identification
Day-flying wasp mimic. Abdomen bright orange.
Eggs are oval, football shaped.
Range
Includes eastern North America.
Season
Adults fly April-November (two broods in south)
Food
Larvae feed (stem borer) on squash, gourds, pumpkins, i.e. Cucurbitaceae.
Adults take nectar.
Remarks
considered a garden pest
See Also
Melittia calabaza

. . . . . . . . . . . .
Melittia grandis

. . . . . . . . . . . .
Melittia gloriosa
Print References
Covell, p. 426, plate 61 #9 (2)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults.
Integrated Pest Management *U. of Connecticut
Penn State U.
University of Illinois *PDF fact sheet.
BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - species account with collection map and photos of pinned adults.
Works Cited
1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
By Donald J. Borror
2.Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America
By Charles V. Covell, Jr.
Contributed by Cotinis on 22 February, 2005 - 8:50pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, anitagould, Maury Heiman
Last updated 2 April, 2012 - 8:51am

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