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Both adults and larvae of the striped cucumber beetle have chewing
mouthparts. Because beetles congregate in large numbers on newly
emerging cucumber, melon, pumpkin, and squash plants, they may
do severe feeding damage in a very short time - almost overnight.
The bacteria Bacillus tracheiphilus Erw. Sm., survives
the winter in the gut of the overwintering beetles. In the spring
the beetles inoculate the disease into the plant tissues as they
feed, spreading disease from plant to plant and field to field
wherever infected beetles feed. The insect is also a vector of
cucumber mosaic disease.
The summer generation of larvae feed on the plant parts below
the soil surface, whereas the adult beetles feed on the stems,
leaves, and fruit of cucurbits.
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