Grumpkin Bug

Similar to squash bugs, grumpkin bugs are small, flat and feed off of sap from squashes and gourds. This variety typically feeds off of pumpkins, but are also inexplicably drawn towards grumpkins. To blend in with their food of choice, grumpkin bugs are a muted orange color. This camouflage allows them to go unnoticed by predators while feeding, but also makes them more noticeable when feeding off of other squashes and gourds when their typical food source isn’t available.

Often seen in pumpkin patches, grumpkin bugs can swarm and decimate entire harvests, as feeding off their sap removes nutrients these plants need to grow. It is unknown as to why pumpkins, and specifically grumpkins, are these bugs sought after food sources. One prevailing theory is that because they lay their eggs on the underside of pumpkins leaves, swarming grumpkins allows their eggs to be carried to different areas.

Written by ShinyBlue