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).

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

0