A PEST OF CURED TOBACCO, EPHESTIA ELUTELLA HUBNER O 



one another and have distorted shapes when the shells harden. The 

 grayish-white color of the eggs changes to light brown during the 

 incubation period. The newly hatched larvae emerge from eggs 

 through circular openings in the end, and the eggshells, retaining their 

 original shape, often remain attached to the tobacco leaves. 



Figure 3.— Larva of Ephestia elutella, X 12 (approximately). 

 The natural length of the larva in tobacco is about three- 

 eighths to five-eighths inch. (Munro and Thomson) 



THE LARVAE 



The larvae on tobacco vary considerably in color; some are tinged 

 with yellow; others are brownish, white, or pinkish. Their bodies are 

 sparsely covered with col- 

 orless hairs. The young • « 

 larva begins feeding soon 

 after hatching, if suitable 

 food is available. When 

 tobacco leaves are hard 

 and dry the young larvae 

 have difficulty in feeding, 

 and there is heavy mortal- 

 ity when they are fed on 

 tobacco leaves that have a 



low moisture content. The larvae devour the tender parts of the leaf, 

 between the veins and the midrib, and pellets of their excrement are 

 often attached on silken threads spun by them. Full- 

 grown larvae usually range from three-eighths to five- 

 eighths inch in length (10) (fig. 3), and brown spots on 

 the dorsal side of the body segments give them a 

 striated appearance. They crawl rapidly when moving 

 about among tobacco leaves or when searching for a 

 suitable place in which to pupate. 



THE PUPAE 



The pupae (fig. 4) range from light brown to dark 

 brown in color, the variation being due to differences in 

 age, as pupae turn darker brown as they grow older. 

 In length they range from three-eighths to five-eighths 

 inch, approximately, and they are usually incased in 

 silken cocoons. The locations chosen by the larvae 

 for pupation are not definite. In tobacco warehouses 

 they pupate in spaces between staves of hogsheads, in 

 the tobacco near the surface of the hogsheads, or where, 

 in crawling about in warehouses, they find sheltered 

 spots suitable for building cocoons. 



Figure 4.— Pupa 

 of Ephesita elu- 

 tella, X12 (ap- 

 pro x i m a tely) . 

 Thepuparanges 

 fromlight brown 

 to dark brown 

 in color and is 

 usually incased 

 in a silken co- 

 coon. (Munro 

 and Thomson) 



THE ADULTS 



The coloration of the adults (fig. 5) of Ephestia elu- 

 tella is variable; some are gray, others light grayish 

 brown. The head and thorax are brownish and the 

 abdomen is pale gray. When the wings are folded the 

 moths average about three-eighths inch from head to 

 tip of wings, and the wing expanse is about one-half 

 inch (10\ In infested warehouses moths can be found resting on 

 screen doors, walls, hogsheads, and boxes. Occasionally they may 

 be seen flying during the day. Observations in tobacco warehouses 

 revealed that moths are more active at night than during the day 



