The Squash Beetle in Arizona, Occurrence and Probable Manner of Introduction

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During 1921 the squash beetle ( Epilachna borealis Fab.) appeared in the vicinity of Douglas, Ariz. It slowly extended its range during the period 1921 to 1924 until it covered about 65 square miles. During 1925 the insect was not found within the previously infested area, and it is believed that a deficiency in precipitation, combined with an increase in the mean temperature, may have been responsible for the disappearance of the pest. The beetle differs from the Eastern form in being somewhat smaller in size and in the absence of marking on the prothorax. The dots on the elytra are also smaller.