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Overview
Anasa spp. is a genus of true bugs in the family Coreidae (kingdom Animalia), commonly called squash bugs. It is not a plant but a group of plant-feeding insects of the Americas, the most familiar being Anasa tristis, the squash bug, a pest of cucurbit crops. Adults are flattened, 0.5-0.7 inch (13-18 mm) long, brownish-gray to black with a hard, shield-like body and a row of orange or pale marks along the edge of the abdomen. They pierce the leaves, stems, and fruit of squash, pumpkin, melon, and related plants with needle-like mouthparts and suck sap, causing wilting, yellow or brown spotting, and collapse of runners. Females lay clusters of small, shiny bronze eggs in neat rows on the undersides of leaves, and the wingless nymphs that hatch are pale green to gray with dark legs and feed in groups. There are usually one to several generations a year, and adults overwinter in plant debris, under boards, and in sheltered spots near gardens. The insects give off a sharp odor when crushed. They are most damaging to young cucurbit plants and to fruit late in the season.