Larvae of the Squash Lady Beetle also feed on the plant, doubling the damage this insect produces. Yellow, oblong eggs are laid on the underside of leaves in clusters of 30-40. They look like regular, helpful lady beetle eggs. Larvae look like small yellow hedgehogs, covered in spiky black hairs. Friendly, beneficial Lady Beetle larvae are mostly black with black spines and look more like tiny alligators. Pupae of the Squash Lady Beetle are plump, yellow grubs that may secrete a chemical from their remaining black spines as a defense against predators. Larvae and pupae also eat the leaves of the plant, usually from the underside. This makes is difficult to see them when passing through the garden. The results of the trenching through the leaf tissue is a diminished transfer of nutrients to that part of the leaf. Skeletonized leaves, where only the thin veins of the leaf are visible, are an indication of their presence.
Squash Lady Beetles do not generally harm the fruit production of the plants they eat. Controlling their numbers can be done by hand-picking the adults off of the squash plants and killing them in a bucket of soapy water. Gardeners can also check the underside of leaves for the yellow egg clusters and rub these off when spotted, but be sure you actually have Squash Lady Beetles before doing so to prevent destroying the eggs of helpful lady beetles.