Insect Pests

It looks like a Mexican bean beetle, but the squash beetle has 14 spots, is slightly larger, and feeds on squash and its cucurbit relatives. Its attacks are usually mild enough to ignore. - Clemson University USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, www.insectimages.org

Easily confused with Mexican bean beetles because they look alike, squash beetles are found on squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons--not beans. They chew on the leaves of cucurbits but aren’t usually a great enough pest to warrant spraying. Squash beetles hibernate through the winter in plant debris, so good garden clean-up will help keep them out of your garden.