Squash Bug vs Anna's Eighty-Eight

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Squash Bug Anna's Eighty-Eight
Scientific Name Anasa tristis Diaethria anna
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Coreidae Nymphalidae
Size 14-18 mm 30-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Rivers & Streams
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions North America Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Anna's Eighty-Eight

A small neotropical butterfly with bright blue-green upper wings and a striking black-and-white numeral pattern underneath. It is closely related to Cramer's eighty-eight.

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Did You Know?

Despite being named for the number pattern, many individuals actually display patterns closer to '89' than '88.'