squash bug

noun

: a large black American bug (Anasa tristis of the family Coreidae) injurious to plants of the gourd family

Examples of squash bug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By dewdrops flare beauty in the morning Until an army of squash bugs land And eat, then drag their bellies From the carnage— Field mice chew their way Into the house. Joy Harjo, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 For example, you can get rid of squash bugs by protecting plants with a physical barrier like floating row covers, picking the insects off by hand, and planting marigold, calendula, sunflower, daisy, alyssum, or dill to attract beneficial insect predators. Deb Wiley, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2023 For the last several years, squash bug numbers have been much higher than normal. oregonlive, 16 Apr. 2023 What’s the best way to squash squash bugs? oregonlive, 25 Mar. 2023 The squash bug mating orgies that biologist Christine Miller began noticing in gardens around Gainesville were nothing unusual. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2015 The two species are Anasa tristis, commonly called the squash bug, and Anasa andresii. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2015 The adult squash bug is flat-backed, brownish black, and measures about 0.62 inches long. oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2020 Tatume is mostly immune to the harmful squash vine borer and squash bugs. Dallas News, 30 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squash bug.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squash bug was circa 1846

Dictionary Entries Near squash bug

Cite this Entry

“Squash bug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squash%20bug. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

squash bug

noun
: a large black American bug that is destructive to squash vines

More from Merriam-Webster on squash bug

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