What is "cucumber beetle"

Cucumber \Cu"cum*ber\ (k?`k?m-b?r, formerly kou"k?m-b?r), n. [OE. cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis, gen.cucumeris; cf. OF. cocombre,F. concombre.] (Bot.) A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the genus Cucumis, esp. Cucumis sativus, the unripe fruit of which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants or fruits of several other genera. See below. Bitter cucumber (Bot.), the Citrullus Colocynthis syn. Cucumis Colocynthis. See Colocynth. Cucumber beetle. (Zo["o]l.)

1. A small, black flea-beetle ( Crepidodera cucumeris), which destroys the leaves of cucumber, squash, and melon vines.

2. The squash beetle. Cucumber tree.

   1. A large ornamental or shade tree of the genus Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata), so called from a slight resemblance of its young fruit to a small cucumber.

   2. An East Indian plant ( Averrhoa Bilimbi) which produces the fruit known as bilimbi.

      Jamaica cucumber, Jerusalem cucumber, the prickly-fruited gherkin ( Cucumis Anguria).

      Snake cucumber, a species ( Cucumis flexuosus) remarkable for its long, curiously-shaped fruit.

      Squirting cucumber, a plant ( Ecbalium Elaterium) whose small oval fruit separates from the footstalk when ripe and expels its seeds and juice with considerable force through the opening thus made. See Elaterium.

      Star cucumber, a climbing weed ( Sicyos angulatus) with prickly fruit.

n. A chrysomelid beetle of the genus (taxlink Diabrotica genus) or the genus (taxlink Acalymma genus), often found on the leaves and flowers of cucurbits.

Cucumber beetle is a common name given to members of two genera of beetles, Diabrotica and Acalymma, both in the family Chrysomelidae. The adults can be found on cucurbits such as cucumbers and a variety of other plants. Many are notorious pests of agricultural crops. The larvae of several cucumber beetles are known as corn rootworms.

Some well-known pests include the western corn rootworm (D. virgifera virgifera), the spotted cucumber beetle and its larva, the southern corn rootworm (D. undecimpunctata), the cucurbit beetle (D. speciosa), the banded cucumber beetle (D. balteata), the northern corn rootworm (D. barberi), the striped cucumber beetle (A. vittatum), and the western striped cucumber beetle (A. trivittatum).

The insects live about eight weeks, during which time both larva and adult feed on plants. Adults will attack the tender young growth of stems and leaves, and the buds and petals on mature specimens. They also carry and spread the bacterial wilt organism Erwinia tracheiphila and the cucumber mosaic virus. Eggs are laid in clusters on the undersides of host leaves and hatch into larvae long. The larvae often tunnel into the soil to attack roots.

Cucumber beetles can overwinter in crop fields or in compost or trash piles. Eradication efforts may include manual removal, clearing cultivated areas of litter, debris, and infested plants, and application of pyrethrin-containing insecticides such as Cyfluthrin or non-systemic organphosphate insectsides such as malathion.