Scentless Plant Bug vs Squash Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scentless Plant Bug Squash Bug
Scientific Name Jadera haematoloma Anasa tristis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Rhopalidae Coreidae
Size 10-14 mm 14-18 mm
Habitat Woodlands Farmland
Diet Seed Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Southern United States, Central America, South America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Scentless Plant Bug

A red-eyed black and red bug that forms enormous aggregations on golden rain trees and other soapberry family plants. Despite its common name, it belongs to the scentless plant bug family. It is completely harmless to humans and structures.

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Did You Know?

Populations feeding on different host plants have evolved different beak lengths matched to seed size, providing a textbook example of rapid natural selection.

Squash Bug

A flat, dark grayish-brown bug that is a major pest of squash and pumpkin plants. When crushed, it emits a distinctly unpleasant odor similar to stink bugs.

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Did You Know?

Squash bugs inject toxic saliva while feeding that causes a condition called anasa wilt, which can kill entire squash vines within days of a heavy infestation.