Black beetles under cucumber plants

[Jeffross1968]

I decided to rip up my cukes as they apparently were done for the season, and replant. As I tilled the row I found numerous black beetles in the dirt. Running a search on cucumber beetles, they did not match, having zero yellow on them. Pure black they were. Any ideas what I might be dealing with? Could they be what wiped out my plants?

[rainbowgardener]

At a guess squash bugs or stinkbugs, which are related.

Squash bug:

[img]https://www.entomology.umn.edu/museum/links/coursefiles/JPEG%20images/Hemiptera%20web%20jpeg/Pentatomomorpha/CoriedMX.jpg[/img]

Yup, it's what did my zucchini in this year, after I managed to save it from the vine borers!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Most likely the Common Black Ground Beetle. In our mild climate they are abundant.

https://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_black_ground_beetle.htm

Jeff, Where are you located?


Eric

[Jeffross1968]

I'm in western NC, in the mountains south of Asheville.

[Jeffross1968]

Most likely the Common Black Ground Beetle. In our mild climate they are abundant.

https://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_black_ground_beetle.htm

Jeff, Where are you located?


Eric

Pretty sure that's the beetle I saw.

[rainbowgardener]

Nice for you then... that one is (mostly) a good guy (though I gather it does eat earthworms along with aphids, weevils, slugs, etc). Applestar just posted about one of those in her garden. I've never seen one, which is why I thought of the stupid squash bug, instead.