20 THE SQUASH BUG 



FuJigous Disease. — When attacked by this disease the 

 leaves begin to dry up at the margins. The plant turns dark 

 green, similar to the first appearance of the vine when treated 

 with too strong a mixture of kerosene and water. Dried up 

 blotches appear on the leaves and the plant dies without wilt- 

 ing. When a cross section of the vine is examined it exhibits 

 a stratification of colors such as is not characteristic of a 

 healthy plant. 



NATURAL ENEMIES 



Tachijtid Parasite. — The most important natural enemy of 

 the squash bug in New Hampshire last season was a little 

 two-winged fly about the size of the common house fly. This 

 is a parasite belonging to the family of Tachinid ( Ta-ki-nid) 

 flies and is called by scientists Ti-icJiopoda pennipes. 



The male of this squash bug Tachinid is somewhat smaller 

 than the female, but otherwise they are much alike in appear- 

 ance. The wings extend about one third their length beyond 

 the tip of the abdomen and are a velvety black, with the ex- 

 ception of the inner margin which is colorless and transparent. 

 The abdomen is a conspicuous yellow while the tip, includ- 

 ing a little more than the last two segments, is a jet black. 

 The rear half of the thorax shows two faint longitudinal yel- 

 low markings, which may be absent. The front half of the 

 thorax is very beautifully colored with alternate markings of 

 black and a brilliant golden yellow. The front of the head is 

 white ; the eyes are black, while between the eyes start two 

 beautiful golden yellow markings diverging downwards and 

 one passing along each side of the white front. 



The female fly deposits her small white eggs on the outside 

 of the body of the squash bug. These eggs are about the 

 size of a pin head, rather oval than round, and are flattened 

 on the side attached to the body of the bug. They look like 

 little white pustules. In a short time the egg hatches into a 

 tiny maggot that burrows through the flattened side of the 

 egg shell and through the skin of the squash bug to which 

 this flattened side is fastened, thus finding itself within the 

 body of the bug. There is no visible opening on the shell as 

 one sees it, so that it is diflicult to tell when the egg hatches. 



