Maybe some type of assassin bug (which are good, they eat other bugs). The ones we get here look similar to that, but not exactly.

That's my best guess, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if I was wrong.

This post was edited by IAmSupernova on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 16:59

Well, after reading more about SvB, I don't think it is one. But until I figure out what it is, I am to nervous to let it go!

SVB is a type of moth. This is a beetle. He is a Neopyrochroa flabellata aka Fire-colored beetle. He is somewhat of a good guy in that he kills blister beetles (bad guys). He eats other insects as well but doesn't damage plants.

If you would include your location or at least your garden zone in your posts (in the box provided for it) it helps to narrow down the possibilities.

Dave

I just googled SVB's. The photo showed a bug like this. If it opens it wings and has 3 or 4 black dots on the back of it's body, it's an SVB. I hope that is not what you have!

Looks like we have a name! Fire colored beetle for sure!

Thank you very much!

The photo showed a bug like this. If it opens it wings and has 3 or 4 black dots on the back of it's body, it's an SVB.

SVB has wider membranous wings like moths and butterflies do and they hang off the side of the body. Beetles have narrow wings that lie close to the body like this guy and they are made of chitin and solid in appearance.

SVB Moth

Fire-colored Beetle

See the difference? Note the difference in antenna and the heads too.

Dave

Here you go. Took this picture earlier this envening. Let the fun begin.
{{gwi:73373}}

Now that is an SVB! 8a huh? They'll be here in about 10 days.

Dave

Oh crap...I'm in 8a. I sat out there yesterday picking every egg I saw on my squash and zucchini plants....it took a good while. What's amazing to me is that all of my plants are in containers, this is my first year growing vegetables, and no one near me has a veggie garden....how the heck did they find my 2 lone little plants???

Because they're part of the environment!
And because they're always looking for a new place to go out to dinner.

Here's an up close and personal look at the enemy.

Funny story, I'd never heard of SVB. Every year my dad's squash would get "stem rot" and die back. Frustrated him to no end. The first year I started any gardening of my own, I was growing some veggies, including some crookneck yellow squash in containers, since my dad didn't have room in the garden to give me any space.

One day I was at the local nature center and saw this "cool" red and black moth feeding on rattlesnake master. I'd seen them in my yard a few times. Took a series of macro shots (attached is one of them). Went home and googled "red and black moth IL" in image search, spotted the same moth, clicked image-- and at the top of the page in bold letters was the common name:

SQUASH VINE BORER

At that moment it occured to me my squash were looking a little sickly. It didn't take long to figure that they'd been killing my dads squash every year, which he thought was the stem rot.

And thus my (still mostly losing) battle with these things began. Wiped out my crooknecks that year. I managed to keep my squash alive last year by injecting with BT and heaping dirt on the vines to get some new roots, but ultimately production went down to nearly zero on the two survivors.