Editorial photo #13944414 Human Interest

Watermelon Bug Lays Eggs On The Wax Gourd Plant - Coridius Chinensis

A female Watermelon Bug (Coridius chinensis) lays eggs in clustered rows on wax gourd or ash gourd (Benincasa hispida) vines in Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on July 8, 2026. The Watermelon Bug is a shield-backed true bug native to Asia and Africa, known as an invasive agricultural pest that feeds on the sap of cucurbit crops, particularly targeting the Cucurbitaceae family, such as gourds and watermelon crops, in regions like South Asia and the Middle East. Females lay dark brown to reddish-brown eggs on the lower surface of leaves or along leaf veins and stems. These eggs hatch into small, drum-shaped, cylindrical pale brown to reddish-black nymphs within 7 to 8 days. Both nymphs and adults cluster on host plants, feeding on sap and potentially stunting growth. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)