THE TOBACCO BEETLE^ AND HOW TO 

 PREVENT DAMAGE BY IT. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



due to the tobacco beetle ."! 



Character of injury 4 



Description of the insect in its differ- 

 ent stages . ', 



Distribution and dissemination 7 



Food substances 8 



Page. 

 Life history and habits S 



Seasonal al)undance and number of 



generations ]•_' 



Natural checks 12 



Repression 14 



1\/T OST tobacco dealers and inanufactiirers are more or less familiar 

 with the tobacco or " cigarette " beetle. This small beetle is an 

 indoor species, is the most widely distributed of all insects affecting 

 tobacco, and is one of the worst pests of the tobacco industry. Usually 

 it is present in some stage at all times in practically all tobacco ware- 

 houses, cigar and tobacco factories, and extensive wholesale or retail 

 establishments. It lives within its food substance during all stages 

 of its existence. For this reason it is spread easily, and its capacity 

 for injury is large. With tobacco, as well as with its other food sub- 

 stances, of Avhich it has a variety, the actual quantity consumed is 

 usually of far less importance than the presence of refuse, dust, dead 

 bodies of the beetles, etc.. which soil the manufactured product or 

 make it unsalable and worthless. In a valuable product like fine leaf 

 tobacco used as wrapper, or in expensive cigars or cigarettes, a very 

 few beetles are capable of causing serious damage in a very short 

 time. (See illustration on title-page.) 



LOSSES DUE TO THE TOBACCO BEETLE. 



Losses occasioned by the tobacco beetle, either directly or indi- 

 rectly, occur Avherever tobacco or tobacco "products are handled. 

 Statements received from manufacturers show that the loss at the 

 factories is large, estimates from some of the larger concerns ranging 

 from $5,000 to $25,000 per year. This, however, probably represents 

 only a small part of the loss from damage to cigars, cigarettes, and 

 manufactured tobacco in the hands of the jobbers and retailers. A 

 heav;\' loss also occurs from damage to leaf tobacco, but it is difficult 

 or impossible to obtain even an approximate estimate of the total loss. 



1 Lafiiodcrma srrricorue Fabrlcius : order Coleoptera, family Ptinidac. 



