Am I a good buggie or a bad buggie?

[Rhodie Ranch]

I have those out here. Not sure what they are, or if they are damaging. I caught some last year (yes, with my fingers) and threw them at the chickens. The chickens wouldn't eat them. Fussy chicks...

 

[journey11]

I found another one today, just hanging out on one of my tomato plants. It does have a proboscis!

ETA: Here he is...I found him!

Adult Squash Bug, also called the Orange-tipped Leaffooted Bug -- Credit: http://www.dpughphoto.com/true_bugs.htm

The orange tipped antennae and the wing-like back leg are a dead match.

The assassin bugs they have on that page look very similar, but they are more of a dull slate grey (and there are others in the species which are brightly colored) and their legs are thin. Their proboscis is also much thicker.

That website is a really good one. LOTS of pics and breaks them down by family. It took a lot of digging to find it, but it was the most helpful site I found.

You know, I have a tendency to want to squish most any bug I find that I don't know. Might be a good idea to study up a little...I think I'll ask my ag ext. agent for more info on garden bugs for my area when I'm down there next week to have them test my pressure canner.

I don't even have any squash going yet. Looks like they're lying in wait until I do! :/

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[lesa]

I was pulling up a bunch of daisy plants in a garden bed, with no veggies-and I found one...You never know where they will be lurking!!

 

[patandchickens]

Well, all bugs (hemipterans) have a proboscis... the issue with coreids vs assassin bugs (reduviids) is what SHAPE and SIZE the proboscis is.

That is definitely a coreid of some sort. Assassin bug proboscises (is that the correct plural?) are several times larger and thicker and curved rather than lying fairly flat against the 'neck' as the one in the pic does.

Pat

 

[Kassaundra]

Okay so take pics then chicken food it is!!! lol

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Run, it's Bug-zilla!!!

 

[4grandbabies]

I found my first nasty ,ugly grey, squash beetle today. I want to cry!! I sprayed with soapy water mixed with pyola.. hope they die!

 

[lesa]

I would not count on sprays to kill them. Put on your rubber gloves and get squishing! They will be under the stems of the plant, and on the underside of the leaves.

 

[journey11]

Well, all bugs (hemipterans) have a proboscis... the issue with coreids vs assassin bugs (reduviids) is what SHAPE and SIZE the proboscis is.

That is definitely a coreid of some sort. Assassin bug proboscises (is that the correct plural?) are several times larger and thicker and curved rather than lying fairly flat against the 'neck' as the one in the pic does.

Pat

Yeah, this guy just has a little, dinky one. The pics of the assassin bugs I saw had quite a SCHNOZ!

I would not count on sprays to kill them. Put on your rubber gloves and get squishing! They will be under the stems of the plant, and on the underside of the leaves.

Squishing time! I'll be on the lookout for him now.

 

[momofdrew]

It sure looks like a squash bug to me.... I would kill it.

me too