Epilachna borealis
| Epilachna borealis | |
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| Species: | E. borealis
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| Binomial name | |
| Epilachna borealis (Fabricius, 1775)
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Epilachna borealis is a species of beetle that can commonly be found in the eastern United States. It is yellow with seven large black spots on each elytron and four small black spots on the pronotum. The species feeds on cucurbitaceous plants. Its common name is Squash beetle.[1]
Biology
The beetle lays a small egg on either the vine or the fruit. The larva burrows into the plant, allowing bacteria to enter and infecting the section of vine which then dies, or the fruit itself, which will usually rot. If detected in time, the larva can be removed from a pumpkin in time to save the fruit, by careful dissection and removal of the larva and its feces. The pumpkin will usually then heal over the wounds and survive.
References
- ^ The Common Insects of North America by Lester A. Swan and Charles S. Papp, 1972, page 412
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