The pumpkin bug (Anasa tristis) measures about 0.6 inches in body length and are often dark grayish to brown in color. The abdomen's edge is marked with gold and brown spots. Like other insects of the family Coreidae, it has a pair of antennae, three pairs of legs and piercing and sucking mouth parts.
Like most insects, the pumpkin bug pass through metamorphosis before reaching the adult stage. Eggs are elliptical and bronze in color, measuring 0.05 inch. Eggs hatch seven to nine days after being laid. After hatching, the green hairy nymphs start to feed on the leaves and fruit of the host plants. They molt five times during about one month before reaching adult size. Adults can live up to 130 days, depending on food availability.
Parasitic wasps (Encyrtidae and Scelionidae) and tachinid flies (Tachinidae) can lay their eggs in old nymphs and adult pumpkin bugs, causing their death. Cannibalism among nymphs of pumpkin bug is also common. Few birds, amphibians and other animals fed on the pumpkin bug, because of the unpleasant smell they can produce.
Pumpkin bugs suck sap from plants, resulting in reduced yields and poor fruit quality. They damage crops. leaving spots that are first yellow and later become brown. Heavily infected plants have black and crisp leaves. When feeding on fruits, the bugs cause scars and sunken areas that increase fruit rot in the storage period. Despite their name, these insects can also attack other plants of the pumpkin family, such as watermelons, zucchinis and cucumbers.