Squash bugs or anasa tristis are harmful to curcurbits in both their young nymph stage and as adults. Although they attack many members of the curcurbit family including cucumbers, gourds, muskmelons, summer squash, pumpkins, watermelon and winter squash, there damage is most extensive in pumpkin and squash plants. Typically they can be found in clusters on curcurbit family plants and they come in a variety of colors.
Squash bugs can be anywhere in the range of colors from bright green to dark brown or grey.
Damage from squash bugs occurs on curcurbit family plants in the form of wilting leaves. As the leaves wilt they take on a black color and become crispy and dry. This is caused by anasa tristis sucking the sap from the leaves of the plant as well as the stems of the curcurbits. Adult squash bugs are usually a dark brown color. Often times they are mistakenly called stink bugs, but this is not a correct term.