36 



BULLETIN 737, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Aplestomorpha vcmdinei Tucker was found abundant in a tobacco 

 warehouse at Clarksville, Tenn. Specimens of this parasite were 

 collected by Mr. J. U. Gilmore, of the Bureau of Entomology, and 

 placed with larva? of the tobacco beetle, from which specimens of the 

 parasite were reared later. ' The egg and also the larval period was 

 found to be six days, and the pupal period about 7 days. The larvae 

 were observed to feed externally on both larva and pupa stages of the 

 tobacco beetle. Specimens were determined by Mr. A. A. Girault, of 

 the Bureau of Entomolog}'. Fullaway (79) records an undetermined 

 species of Pteromalus reared from the tobacco beetle in Hawaii. 

 Jones (77), in the Philippines, describes and figures Norbanus sp., 

 which attacks larvae and pupa 1 of the tobacco beetle while in the pupal 

 cells. 



CatolaccuH anthonomi Ashmead has been recorded as a parasite of 

 Lasioderma serricorne (43), but Mr. J. C. Crawford considers this 

 an error. The original specimen can not be found. 



Other Enemies. 



Various species of mites are found frequently in tobacco, and some 

 of these have been found to feed on eggs of the tobacco beetle. At 



Fig. 12. — Cigars showing work of a .jointed spider (Order Solpugida). Holes torn by 

 the solpugid in order to reach larvae or pupa? of the tobacco beetle (Lasioderma 

 serricortie) within the cigar. 



Tampa, Fla., considerable difficulty was experienced in keeping eggs 

 used in experimental work from being destroyed by the mites. 

 Specimens of these were examined by Mr. Nathan Banks, then of 

 the Bureau of Entomology, and found to be a species of Cheyletus. 

 The larva form of a mite belonging to this genus was observed to 

 insert its beak into the eggs of the tobacco beetle, remaining in this 

 position for some time, and leaving the eggs more or less collapsed. 

 The adult females of this species were observed to stand guard over 

 their own eggs, which were deposited in clusters and kept under- 

 neath the female. The clusters contained from 20 to 30 eggs. A 

 mite belonging to the family Eupodidae, genus Rhagidia, has been 



