96 



In practically all of the instances of attack that have been mentioned 

 letters of complaint were accompanied by specimens of the insects at 

 work in tobacco or other products affected. 



INJURIOUS OCCURRENCE OF AN EXOTIC DERMESTIl) IN THE UNITED 



STATES. 



Among- the beetles of the genus Dermestes, treated by Dr. Horace 

 F. Jayne in his paper entitled "A revision of the Dermestidte of the 

 United - States " (Proceedings American Philosophical Society, Vol. 

 XX, 1883, p. 353), D. cadarerhvus Fab. is included, Florida being 

 given as its onl}^ locality. Correspondence during September, 1901, 

 shows not alone that this species is apparently established in this coun- 

 try in New York City, but that it is probably an exotic form, perhaps 

 originating in China. 



September 6, 1901, the Clifton Silk Mills, town of Union, N. J., 

 sent specimens of this species, with accompanying information that 

 the beetles and their larvae were found in bales of dried China silk- 

 worm cocoons imported from Shanghai for reeling. Many of the 

 beetles were noticed at this time wandering about among the cocoons, 

 and a lesser number of larvae A friend of our correspondents having 

 a silk-reeling establishment in France said that this (or perhaps a 

 related) species emerged from the cocoons when the latter were kept 

 in moist places. Another friend interested in silk culture stated that 

 he found the larva? or "worms" in bales of reel silk, and that they 

 cut the silk as with a knife, establishing themselves generally beside 

 the cords which tie the bundles, and working their way along the 

 grooves made by the cords, cutting the skeins as they go. He recol- 

 lected that larvte had been occasionally found in Italian silk. 



Our correspondents stated that the beetles made short flights, but 

 were disinclined to use their wings. 



September 11 our correspondents called attention to the small clean 

 holes made by the insects in the cocoons, in contrast to that made by 

 the silkworm moth, which in emerging makes a ragged hole, stained 

 brow^n for some distance in from the edges. It was further stated 

 that in Franco, where this species is found in reeling establishments 

 in raw silk, that when the packing of the silk was done near where 

 the cocoons were stored infestation was noticed. B}^ removing the 

 packing department to a distance from the cocoons this trouble w^as 

 averted. 



September 25, 1901, the Pa3'^ne Spring Tanning Company, Cumber- 

 land, Md., sent specimens of this beetle with sample of leather received 

 from a tanner in New York City, showing holes through which the 

 beetles had bored. Our correspondents stated that the leather was 

 rolled in bundles of 13 and 21 sides each, and upon opening the same 

 they found that the leather had numerous holes in it about the size 



