Those appear to be males and usually are first to show up on a squash or pumpkin. They are OK.

Hi Kate! Thank you!

The reason squash usually put out male flowers first is because (1) energetically, they're cheaper to produce than female flowers and (2) because they attract pollinators. That is, once the plant takes the extra trouble to make female flowers, it really wants the pollinators to be cued in and ready to work.

That being said, budding may be happening prematurely because of stress, and maybe because of simple confusion. You won't hurt anything by snipping some off. You'd rather have the immature plant making foliage than flowers.

Also, I could be wrong but I think I see an SVB egg on the last photo on one of the stems.

@Laura at Rather Square: OMG! how extraordinary you are!!!! As soon as I saw your post I ran out to take a look, I remembered which plant it was. Sure enough, there was the egg, right there. Thank God they take a few days to hatch. I found another one too. I had looked at that plant before and had not noticed it. I typically was looking at the main stem near the ground. But I will look at the stems and leaves as well from now on. That feels like a daunting task....And while I was there I saw a SVB trying to lay eggs. Those things are fast. I could not swat it. Well I am hoping it gets caught on a sticky trap or goes to my Hubbard squash traps.

The main stem does not feel hollow on these young plants. Does it become hollow as the plant matures? Or I just cant tell? Can the larvae destroy an young plant whose stem is not yet hollow?

Thank you so much Laura! I might be able to find the eggs better now.