Wings are covered with very small punctures clearly seen under magnification. Eggs are light yellow or orange colored, and round to oval shaped. Larvae are white with a dark head and have three pairs of legs on the thorax. Life Cycle and Habits Adult beetles overwinter and leave Their hibernating quarters in the spring when temperatures reach 65 degrees F or more. When cultivated cucurbit plants begin to emerge through the soil surface, large numbers of beetles may suddenly appear and feed on the seedlings or crawl into soil cracks in reach of sprouting seed.
Beetles soon mate and continue feeding throughout the season.
Eggs are laid 8-25 days after mating. Females deposit 225-800 in small clusters or singly into soil cracks at the base of cucurbit plants. Eggs hatch 5-8 days later, with larvae spending about 15 days feeding on the roots and stems of fruit that is in contact with 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.