134C) The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



sucks out the juices. The nymphs grow and shed their skins five 

 times before they become adults. More than a month is usually 

 required for the bug to reach full size. There is only one gener- 

 ation a year. 



Control. The full-grown squash bug and the nymphs puncture 

 the leaves of the squash and suck out the juices, thus causing 

 the leaves and finally the whole plant to wither and die. In 

 addition, the bugs may carry from one plant to another a very 

 serious bacterial disease, the wilt, which sometimes causes a great 

 deal of injury. 



Poisons will not kill the bugs, but early in the spring one should 

 keep a sharp lookout for the old bugs and catch them by hand 

 before they lay their eggs. A little later the eggs, when laid, 

 may also be destroyed. The old overwintering bugs may be 

 trapped under pieces of boards, bark or shingles laid on the 

 ground. The bugs will crawl under these for shelter and may be 

 caught and killed in the early cool spring mornings when they 

 are not verv active. 



STRIPED CUCUMBER BEETLE 



The striped cucumber beetle (Diabrotica vittata) is only about 

 two-fifths of an inch in length. The ground color is yellow 

 above but the head is black, and there are three 

 black lines running lengthwise of the back. 

 The underside of the body is mostly black 

 (Fig. 402). 



The full-grown beetles spend the winter hid- 

 den away beneath leaves and other rubbish, but 

 they appear early in spring and feed on such 

 plants as they can find until the cucumbers and 

 melons are up. After feeding for awhile on 

 their favorite plants they lay eggs in crevices 



Cucumber Beetle, of the soil near the roots of the vines. The 

 Enlarged . 



eggs hatch into slender, white, worm-like lame 



that live on the roots of the plants and cause more or less injury. 



Tn about one month the larvae change to pup^e and in about one 



week more the adult beetles appear. In most parts of Xew York 



State there are probably two generations a season, while on Lono- 



Island there may be three. 



Fig. 402. — Striped 



