# Squash Bug

*Anasa tristis*

When threatened, squash bugs release a volatile alarm pheromone from thoracic glands that smells like industrial bananas or old gym socks to deter predators.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Coreidae › Anasa
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Agricultural fields, backyard vegetable gardens, and areas with dense cucurbit plantings.
- **Diet:** Plant sap, primarily from squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons.
- **Range:** North America, Central America
- **Size:** 1.3 to 1.6 cm (0.5 to 0.6 inches)
- **Lifespan:** About 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticides, predatory insects (such as tachinid flies), and extreme winter freezes.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans. They do not sting and rarely bite, though they can emit a foul, sweetish odor resembling rancid bananas when disturbed or crushed. Safe to observe or relocate by hand; wash hands with soap and water if they release their defensive scent on your skin.

## About

Anasa tristis of the family Coreidae is a major pest of squash and pumpkins, and is a vector of the cucurbit yellow vine disease bacterium. These bugs can emit an unpleasant odor when disturbed. It is commonly known as the squash bug but shares this name with certain other species.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/f70d5f42-88c1-4a64-ad17-578725438d78
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/143660
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anasa tristis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/30428872/medium.jpeg (Even Dankowicz, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.