Learn about the different insects and pests that affect gardens, lawns and food crops, and how to deal with them.
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An adult striped cucumber beetle is oblong, yellowish-green in color, about 1/4 inch long, and marked by three slate-black stripes. Learn about the different insects and pests that affect gardens, lawns and food crops, and how to deal with them. |
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Striped Cucumber Beetle
Submit your comments, tips, or suggestions you'd like to share with other users regarding this article. Reference: Ohio State University Extension
Striped cucumber beetles often fly from their hibernating sites early in the season, even before plants emerge. As soon as the cucumber, squash, pumpkin, melons and related seedlings push up through the soil, beetles can eat off the stems and cotyledons, frequently killing them. Adults later feed on the leaves, vines and fruits of plants that survive. Sometimes, deep pits are gnawed into the rind, making the produce unfit for consumption or market. Damage is also caused by the larvae feeding on the roots of host plants, which weakens the plant and makes it susceptible to other problems. Adults also feed on beans, peas, corn and blossoms of other plants. Most important, these beetles are vectors of a serious cucurbit disease known as bacterial wilt. Plants infected with the disease wilt quickly with leaves drying out prior to plant death. The causative bacteria, Erwinia tracheiphilia (E.F. Smith), overwinters in the bodies of hibernating beetles. These beetles introduce the bacteria into the plants through the fecal contamination of feeding wounds. This is the only natural method of infection known. Beetles also spread squash mosaic virus. Identification Eggs are light yellow or orange colored, and round to oval shaped. Larvae are worm-like and about 3/8 inch long when full grown. Larvae are white with a dark head and have three pairs of legs on the thorax. Pupae are whitish-yellow and about 1/4 inch long.
Life Cycle and Habits Eggs hatch 5-8 days later, widh larvae spending about 15 days feeding on the roots and stems of fruit that is in contact widh the soil. The pupal period is 6-7 days. The time from egg to adult for The first generation of beetles requires about 1 month and slightly longer for succeeding generations. After cucurbit plants mature and cool autumn weather approaches, beetles migrate to wooded, bushy areas, crawling under litter to overwinter. Some may overwinter a mile from the hatching site. In Ohio, only 1 generation occurs while 2 or more generations may be produced in the Gulf states. Control Measures Prevention Insecticides Sprays prepared from wettable powders are less phytotoxic than sprays prepared from emulsifiable concentrates. Dusts are likewise effective if plants are Thoroughly covered. Rotenone 1% dust gives good beede control. Malathion may cause injury to plants if applied before they start to vine. Malathion may cause some foliar burning and should not be applied when plants are wet. Do not combine Malathion and Sevin for application to cucumbers due to possible phytotoxicity. Recommended chemicals include rotenone, methoxychlor, malathion and carbaryl (Sevin) applied according to label directions and safety precautions. Predators and Parasites
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| Data Source: Ohio State University Extension. Articles and resource may contain pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide and it is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. |
