Hello all, I've really enjoy reading all your gardening stories and questions the last few years, but this is the first time I've posted one of my own. Sadly, I just pulled up my pumpkin and watermelon vines after they started out beautifully. Very suddenly--it only took about three days--my formerly robust vines were attacked and completely destroyed by bugs. I did a web search and identified them as squash bugs and spotted cucumber beetles. I have two questions now. First, I've read that to help repel the same critters next time, I should plant radishes with the pumpkin vines. I will try that. But, I'm wondering whether there's a cover crop I can grow in that part of the garden through the remainder of fall and maybe winter that might create a hostile environment for whatever eggs and larvae from these bugs are already in the soil. Any ideas? Secondly, as I was pulling out the vines, I discovered another bug I've never seen before. It was very pretty as bugs go...but I wonder whether it, too, contributed to the demise of my pumpkins and watermelons! I don't have capability to post a photo. The insect had a body shape just like a stink bug, right down to the "horns" on its back, but it was larger, perhaps 3/4 inch long, and broader. The underside of the body was a brilliant reddish-orange. The top of the body was all black except for three spots of the same reddish-orange. The spots formed a triangle. Two of the spots were sort of tear-drop shaped while the third was round. Does anyone have any idea what kind of bug this is? If so, is it harmful to my plants?

Yeah it's new but I'm giving it a lot more light than the Lowes I bought it from did. I'll try to do some more searching. edit: I found a few things that mentioned there are some tall pachyveria hybrids that aren't actually victims of etiolation but just happen to be tall. I will admit it's leaves are quite fragile though. I may update this as time goes on

Beetle. Looks similar to one of the flower longhorn beetles. (subfamily Lepturinae) http://bugguide.net/node/view/2941/bgimage?from=264 ^ not necessarily this species, but coloration and shoulders broader than abdomen are typical of this group.

Delosperma echinatum aka The Pickle Plant;). Not a cactus, but a succulent:). Here's some Info;).