THE TOBACCO BEETLE. 23 



There is a belief quite common that the eggs of the tobacco beetle are 

 laid on the leaf tobacco in the fields or during the process of curing, 

 and that these eggs do not develop until the tobacco is handled or. 

 made up into cigars or other products. This is not the case, as the 

 eggs hatch within a few days after they are deposited and the beetles 

 do not infest tobacco' until it is cured. The eggs are laid during both 

 day and night. In cigars, the greater number of eggs is deposited in 

 the open end, the beetles frequently burrowing in the filler to a 

 considerable distance. 



At Key West, Fla., large numbers of adults were placed in test 

 tubes containing fresh cigars of the panatela and perfecto shapes. 

 After a few days the cigars were cut in sections, unwrapped, and 

 the location of the eggs noted. Results from 10 cigars containing, 

 in all, 372 eggs were as follows: Panatelas, 220 eggs; on outside, 6 

 eggs ; inside, at end, first inch of cigars, 184 eggs ; rest of cigars, 30 

 eggs. Perfectos, 152 eggs; on outside, 11 eggs; inside first inch of 

 cigars, 129 eggs ; rest of cigars, 12 eggs. In this experiment the num- 

 ber of eggs deposited on the outside of the cigars was probably 

 more than normal owing to the large number of beetles in the tubes. 

 In a similar experiment at Richmond, Va., with cigars of various 

 shapes, only 5 per cent of a total of 320 eggs were found on the out- 

 side. This experiment was made with boxed cigars. All of the eggs 

 recorded as deposited on the outside of the cigars were between two 

 cigars closely packed, or on the edge of the filler exposed at the 

 open end. In no instance were eggs laid on the wrapper where the 

 surface was smooth. With cigarettes the eggs are deposited within 

 the wrappers, the greater number being found near the end. In plug 

 tobacco eggs were found mostly along the roughened edges of the 

 slices, and between the slices when closely packed. The eggs do not 

 adhere readily to leaf tobacco and are easily dislodged by handling. 



NUMBER OF EGGS LAID, AND PERIOD OF OVIPOSITION. 



The number of eggs laid by individual females varies greatly, de- 

 pending on the vitality of the beetle, on the food obtained while in 

 the larva stage, and on the temperature and moisture conditions 

 during the egg-laying period. The largest number shown by any 

 record obtained thus far is 103. This record, which also shows the 

 rate of egg deposition, is as follows: On April 16, 1915, a pair in 

 copula was placed with leaf tobacco in a tube and kept in an incu- 

 bator at a constant temperature of 86° F. and a relative humidity of 

 80 per cent. The first eggs were laid April 17. The daily egg 

 deposition from April 17 to April 25 is as follows : 24, 17, 18, 14, 11, 

 10, 2, 4, 3; total, 103. The male died April 21 and the female 

 April 28. 



