[b54red]

I have noticed a few new bugs this year that look somewhat like Assassin bugs and they may very well be since there are so many of those type bugs. They are about 3/4 to 1 inch long, light brown, and on or around my cucumbers and squash. They look similar to leaf footed bugs but smoother and without the leaf foot. They are six legged and fairly slender like a leaf footed bug. I know it would be best if I could post a picture but I don't have one. I'll try to find one and get a good picture if I can.

I haven't noticed any insect damage to my squash or cucumbers but it may be to early to see if they are damaging them. I have seen a couple of spotted cucumber beetles and am hoping they are some type of Assassin bug that feeds on them. I have very few predator bugs in the garden this season for some reason but then again I don't have a lot of pests so far either so that may explain that.

I also ran across a new worm or larvae of something that was feeding on my bean leaves. I have never seen this one before and there is no way I could get a good photo of them. At first I thought they were just some kind of debris on the underside of some chewed leaves but upon closer examination they were alive. The largest ones I have seen are about 1/2 inch long with a slight reddish brown and clear color to them. They look like some kind of larvae. I have seen small ones about 1/4 inch long and they chew the bottom layer of the leaf until it shows and I look under the leaf. I used Dipel and it didn't bother them at all and I am not going to use Sevin as my beans just started making. Just wondered if anyone else had ever run across this pest or if anyone knew what it was? So far I have only seen them on about a dozen leaves and just crushed them with my fingers.

Bill