New on Featured Creatures! The squash vine borer

We are pleased to announce a new article on Featured Creatures!

Take a sneak peek with this excerpt from the article: Squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae (Harris), is a diurnal (active during the day) moth species (Fig. 1). The larvae complete their growth and development on wild and domesticated species of the genus Cucurbita. This insect was once considered a nuisance to commercial growers and a problem to home growers of cucurbits. However, with the expansion of cucurbit production in the United States (U.S.) over the last decade, the squash vine borer has become a pest of economic importance (Brust 2010).

Melittia_cucurbitae01

Figure 1. Adult squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae (Harris). Photographs by Lyle J. Buss, University of Florida.

Available at: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/squash_vine_borer.htm

Authors: Eutychus Kariuki and Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, University of Florida

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Posted: January 7, 2015


Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Featured Creatures, Moths, Pest Alert


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