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Young squash bugs seek out adults’ poop for an essential microbe

Insects that don’t pick up Caballeronia bacteria die

A close up photo of several squash bug nymphs climbing over a green plant.

Squash bug nymphs (pictured) need a certain type of bacteria to survive. They find it themselves in poop from adult squash bugs.

Pollinator/English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

By Erin Garcia de Jesús

For young squash bugs, a sip full of feces can help the microbes go down.

Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are a major agricultural pest, and a bacterial partner called Caballeronia is essential for their survival.