LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS OF TROGODERMA 
TARSALE (MELSH.), A MUSEUM PEST. 
J. E. WoDSEDALEK, 
Fellow in Zoology, University of Wisconsin. 
CONTENTS. 
Description. 
Distribution and Damages. 
Life History. 
Moulting. 
Pupation. 
Courtship and Mating. 
Feeding. 
Variation in Size Among the Adults. 
Phototactic Reactions and Death Feigning. 
Results of Experiments on Starvation of the Larve. 
eee COR NT eS 
_ 
1. DESCRIPTION. 
H. F. Jayne (1882) in his “Revision of the Dermestide of 
the United States”’ gives the following description of Trogoderma 
tarsale, which he says is identical with 7. inclusum: 
“T. inclusum (Lec.)—Oval, somewhat oblong, black, clothed with 
moderately long, semi-erect black pubescence. Elytra with four sinuous 
‘confluent bands of red, bearing whitish pubescence. Head coarsely 
and densely punctured, quite sparsely pubescent. Eyes deeply emar- 
ginate in front, not very prominent. Antenne testaceous. Thorax 
finely punctate, moderately pubescent. Elytra black, with four irregular 
bands of red, bearing grayish pubescence, the rest with sparse black 
pubescence, coarsely punctate. Body beneath piceous, coarsely punctate, 
with cinereous recumbent pubescence. Antennal fossa deep, occupying 
nearly all the space between the front and lateral margins. Prosternum 
short, moderately wide, convex, not carinate. Abdominal segments 
rufous, apical margins paler, pubescent. Legs rufo-testaceous. Length 
.OS—.16 inch; 2—4 mm. Male antennal joints 1 and 2 large, 3—4 very 
‘small, 5—11 forming the club, which is not deeply pectinate. 
“Female. Antennal joints 1 and 2 large, 3—7 small, S—11 forming 
the club. T. tarsale and T. pallipes are identical with this species.”’ 
F. H. Snow (1882) gives the following description of the 
larva and pupa. “In Dr. Hagen’s list of Museum pests ob- 
served in Cambridge,’’ published in the Proceedings of the Bos- 
ton Society of Natural History, Vol. XX, I find no mention of 
the above species, and in order that eastern collectors may 
guard against its introduction into their cabinets I give the 
following brief description of its larva and pupa. 
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