Identification
"Pronotum and basal half of front wings speckled with brown; side-margins of pronotum yellowish; hind femora spineless. Eggs oval, pale yellowish to dark, laid in irregular clusters, usually on underside of leaves."
(1)Range
Throughout the United States and southern Canada, south to Brazil
(2)Food
Hosts on most species/varieties of cucurbits (plants in the squash family) but prefers to lay eggs on pumpkin and squash.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid in clusters of about 20, usually on the undersides of leaves. Completes life cycle in 6 - 8 weeks - one generation in the north, two or more in the south.
Eggs, nymphs, adult:
Remarks
This is the most injurious species of coreid in Florida
(3)
Injects a toxic saliva into plants, causing wilting and blackening of leaves. Can also act as vector of cucurbit yellow vine disease, which kills plants.
A number of parasites attack them, in particular the Tachinid fly,
Trichopoda pennipes that lays eggs on the adult.
