Field Identification
The larva of a tropical crambid moth that bores into cucumber, squash, melon, and related fruit after feeding on flowers. Frass at entry holes and collapsing fruit are telltales in warm-season gardens.
Greenish caterpillar with two translucent bands and a dark head; moth is white with dark wing margins. Multiple generations per year in hot climates.
How to Deal With It
Organic Control Methods
Plant parthenocarpic types under cover; destroy infested fruit daily; end-season tillage may reduce pupae where appropriate.
Trichogramma spp. egg parasitoids; generalist predators on flowers.
Harvest frequently before full size to reduce egg-lay sites; interplanting has modest effects—cover is more reliable.
Row cover until bloom; slit fruit to destroy larvae when few plants are affected.
Bt kurstaki on flowers and small fruit; spinosad where labeled—timing before bore-in is critical.
Let Nature Handle It
Natural Enemies
- Trichogramma spp.
- Predatory Bugs
Threat Map