The adult beetle emerges in late August or September and feed on pollen and fruit until heavy killing frosts occur. The beetle is a carrier of bacterial wilt, a serious disease of cucurbits, which is spread from plant to plant while the pest feeds. Initially a single leaf will suddenly wilt and turn dark green. As the bacteria disease spreads within the plant, more leaves will wilt and the plant dies. Once they infect plants, there is no control.
Beetles can harbor the bacterial wilt disease in their intestines overwinter.
They also can spread cucumber mosaic virus disease from one plant to another after feeding on a diseased plant. This insect is difficult to control because the adults attack plants close to the ground level. Plant more seeds than you need, and thin out all but the most vigorous plants when they are well established. Where the garden is small enough to make it practical, you may cover the plants from the moment they appear through the ground with spun bonded rowcovers or cloth screen protectors made in the form of cones or hemispheres. Remove these protection devices when the plants start to outgrow them or when they start to bloom.