THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. l87 



A NEW CLOTHES BEETLE. 



BY PROF. A. J. COOK, AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, MICHIGAN. 



One of the most interesting studies of the scientific entomologist — 

 more interesting because of its economic importance — relates to variation 

 of habits of insects, consequent upon variation in their environment. 

 The carpet beetle, Anthretnts scrophularice Linn., feeds on flowers in its 

 native Europe. In the new atmosphere of America, it feeds and thrives 

 upon carpets, shawls and other woollen goods. The apple maggot, 

 Trypeta pomonella, feeds upon our wild haw and other wild fruits. 

 Civilization exterminates its old-time aliment ; and it betakes itself to our 

 apples, cherries and plums. The curculio, apple-tree borers, bark lice, 

 etc., are other illustrations of the same truth. 



In the past season I have discovered another illustration in the Lasioder- 

 via serricorne Fab. This insect belongs to the family Ptinidce, a small 

 family of very small insects. Very few of the insects of this family are 

 noxious ; the two best known of which are, the apple-tree twig borer, 

 Amphicerus bicaudatns Say., which bores in the mature state in the twigs 

 of the api^le, and Linoxylon basilare Say, which attacks the hickory and 

 grape. The insect in question, Lasioderma serricorne Fab., has been found 

 to attack plush furniture. The larvse, in this case, do the mischief; they 

 perforate the plush, making it like a sieve. I know of several pieces of 

 upholstered furniture utterly ruined by these minute larvae. 



The beetle is light-brown in color. There is little variation in the 

 color, except that the eyes and tips of the elytra are black. The wing- 

 covers appear a little lighter, because of a covering of light hairs, which 

 are more dense on the elytra than on the thorax and head. The thorax 

 bends down, so that, as we look from above, we can not see the head. 

 The serrate antennas, which give its name to the beetle, are also bent under 

 the head, so as to rarely show. The beetle is very small, hardly more 

 than 2 m.m. long. The elytra are non-striated. The first two joints of 

 the antennae are small. They then increase to the sixth, and then de- 

 crease to the end. The tenth, or last joint, is rounded. The grubs are 

 short, curled and hairy. They are two m.m. long and one thick. The 

 color is white, and the hairs nearly white. These latter have a slightly 

 yellowish tinge. The six thoracic legs are tipped with black. The upper 

 part of the head shows four yellowish-brown lines. The upper ones are 



