It looks like they were eating the outside coat or maybe a flash mob,that decided to meet at the spot.
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Girl, kill them 
they’re terrible bugs… don’t just wipe them off. They eat anything and everything cucumber and Melon types. And they’re aggressive as hell, at least when i was in Colorado. They would chase and attack you, more aggressive than wasps towards me.
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@Bradybb
I have never seen cucumber beetles eat outside coating of the melon before so I’d go with a flash mob 
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Too bad that @thecityman has not posted much in months. He grows ton of watermelons, he may be able to tell why the beetles did such a thing.
@Melon I have not been attacked by them. They don’t act aggressive here. I don’t have many encounters with them. I usually squish them when I see them.
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The beetles destroyed my cucumbers and melons each year in Colorado. Maybe they knew i was fighting them because they were much more aggressive than wasps ever were to me
Cucumber beetles are attracted to cucurbitacin, but prefer feeding spots where cucurbitacin is lowest and skin is thinnest. Supposedly, the field spot area is where the skin is thinnest and cucurbitacin is highest. So the boundary area of the field spot most likely provides the optimal conditions they prefer.
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Learn something new. Thank you. I have grown watermelons for 6-7/years and got more melons than I could count but never witness this occurrence before. Interesting indeed.
@Melon
Cucumber beetles have brought bacterial wilt that killed my cucumber plants every year. They have never caused any damage to any of my watermelons.
They’ve made me have deformed melons and cucumbers on the past by the excessive feeding last year. Oddly enough, they just started showing up for me about 2 years ago in Colorado. Before then, we never had them where i was at. I only grew the mini melons and cucumbers because of the short season so when they attacked in swarms, I’m screwed on that melon 
By the way, is your name Mango in Thai? Is that how it’s spelled in English?
Yes, Ma-muang is mango in Thai.
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Always wondered how things are spelled 
I’ve had luck using nasturtiums to reduce cucumber beetle damage on my melons in Colorado.
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I still lurk from time to time…and still feel guilty for disappearing…life just been crazy but in a good way.
Anyway, I wouldn’t have been much help on this. In over 40 years of growing more than 50 varieties of watermelons in 2 very different regions, I have never, ever seen this happen! haha. Certainly I’ve seen those cuke bugs but usually on squash and cukes. That is VERY strange.
That being said, you really have some beautiful melons this year, grasshopper! haha. The student has become the teacher!
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@thecityman Kevin
So glad to see you popped in. Thought you were too good for us 
Those buggers ate the skin off that watermelon. Don’t know that cucumber beetles like to munch on watermelon skin!!!It was weird.
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@Ahmad makes us all look like lazy bums. I think he stays up all night, working out in his orchard by lamplight. LOL
Several years ago he advised me strongly - to thin. Each year I get a ‘tiny bit closer’ to his actual recommendation. And when I succumb to ‘Thinning Anxiety’ - I end up paying for it! Next year . . . a hand’s width apart. 
(hopefully) 
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Karen
I have thinned fruit for many years now. I thought I did a good job. This year after 3 rounds of thinning Korean Giant, I felt good about it. Well, we had a mini drought from late Aug to Sept. I believe that was the time my pears should have expand/increase in size. That did not happen. It seemed the pears were stunted.
By Oct, my Korean Giant turned into Korean dwarves!! Most are so small, I don’t even bother picking them.
I left them on the tree. Pictures taken today. Squirrels can have them.
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I think you now have enough fruit for all of the squirrels too!!!
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This year I sure do. Still a lot of apples on the tree. I have no room in my fridge!!!
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They look like little ghosts hanging in the tree.
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I believe it. And your plum crops were incredible!!!
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Perfect for a Halloween night
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