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Species Eichlinia cucurbitae - Squash Vine Borer - Hodges#2536

Representative Images

Squash Vine Borer - Eichlinia cucurbitae Side Shot While Feeding - Eichlinia cucurbitae Melittia - Eichlinia cucurbitae unknown bug on Joe Pye Weed - Eichlinia cucurbitae Squash Vine Borer - Eichlinia cucurbitae Orange bodied wasp with very thick hind legs - Eichlinia cucurbitae Weird bug? maybe a wasp? see 2 pics - Eichlinia cucurbitae Possible bee moth - Eichlinia cucurbitae
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Cossoidea (Carpenter and Clearwing Moths)
Family Sesiidae (Clearwing Moths)
Subfamily Sesiinae
Tribe Melittiini
Genus Eichlinia
Species cucurbitae (Squash Vine Borer - Hodges#2536)

Hodges Number

2536

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Melittia cucurbitae (Harris, 1828)
Aegeria cucurbitae Harris, 1828
Melittia cucurbitae
Trochilium cucurbitae
Melittia satyriniformis
* phylogenetic sequence #079450

Explanation of Names

cucurbit Latin for gourd. (1)

Numbers

Six Eichlinia species occur in America north of Mexico.

Size

Winspan 28-32 mm. (2)

Identification

Day-flying wasp mimic. Abdomen bright orange.
Eggs are flat, reddish brown, and about 1mm long. They are laid singly on the lower part of either the main stalk or the base of stems, or on leaves or fruit buds. Some eggs may be laid in cracks in soil near the base of the plant.

Eichlinia cucurbitae has a dark olive green second abdominal segment.
Distinguished from Eichlinia calabaza which has some orange on the second abdominal segment.

Range

e US to Great Plains - Map (MPG)

Season

mostly: Jun-Aug (BG data)

Food

Larvae feed (stem borer) on squash, gourds, pumpkins, i.e. Cucurbitaceae. (2)
Adults take nectar.

Life Cycle

1: egg. 2 and 3: larvae. 4: mating pair. 5: egg-laying female

See Also

Eichlinia calabaza, the second abdominal segment has is orange.

. . . . . . . . . . . .
Eichlinia grandis

. . . . . . . . . . . .
Eichlinia gloriosa

Print References

Covell Jr., C.V. 1984. A field guide to the moths of Eastern North America. p.426, plate 61 #9 (3)
Engelhardt, G.P. 1946. The North American Clear-wing Moths of the family Aegeriidae. United States National Museum Bulletin 190: 182-184 (2)

Internet References

Moth Photographers Group
U. of Connecticut
Penn State U.
University of Illinois - PDF
U. of Minnesota
BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - BOLD
Featured Creatures - U of Florida

Works Cited

1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
2.The North American Clear-wing Moths of the family Aegeriidae.
George P. Engelhardt. 1946. United States National Museum Bulletin 190: 1-222, pl.1-32.
3.Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America
Charles V. Covell, Jr. 2005.
Contributed by Cotinis on 22 February, 2005 - 8:50pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, anitagould, Mike Quinn, Maury Heiman, ceiseman, marcie oconnor, Randy Hardy, Ken Childs, Kyhl Austin
Last updated 28 September, 2023 - 8:00am

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