INSECT PESTS OF CIGAR-TYPE TOBACCOS 53 
agricultural college, State department of agriculture, or the Bureau 
of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, United States Department of 
Agriculture. 
SUMMARY 
Cigar types of tobacco—wrapper leaf, binder leaf, and filler leaf— 
grown in the southeastern part of the United States are subject to 
the attack of several species of insects. While these insects attack 
all types of tobacco, the injury causes the greatest reduction in 
value to the wrapper type. The careful use of insect-preventive 
methods and the timely application of direct control remedies are 
necessary for the successful production of this type of leaf. Effec- 
tive contro] measures must also be used in the production of the 
filler and binder types. Descriptions of the various types of insect 
injury, discussions of the available control measures, and facts con- 
cerning the habits of the injurious species are given in this circulay. 
The - injurious insects which occur most frequently in the tobacco 
plant beds are mole crickets, flea beetles, and cutworms. Flea beetles 
may be controlled by the application of diluted cube- or derris-root 
powder containing 1 percent of rotenone. Injuries caused by mole 
crickets and cutworms may be prevented to a considerable extent by 
the application of poisoned-bran bait. 
The three major insect pests of the crop in the field are the tobacco 
budworm, the tobacco hornworm, and the tobacco flea beetle. 
The tobacco budworm may be controlled by means of a poisoned 
bait consisting of corn meal and lead arsenate in the proportions of 
75 to 1 by weight, apphed directly to the bud leaves. The number 
of applications necessary to protect the crop will vary with the 
tobacco types. 
The most effectual means of controlling hornworms on wrapper 
tobacco grown under artificial shade is the careful maintenance of 
the cloth tops, side walls, and gateways of the shade structures. 
Tobacco grown in open fields does not have this means of protection. 
No entirely satisfactory hornworm poison is available at the present 
time, and efforts are being made to devise better measures for the 
direct control of this insect. Light applications of paris green or 
mixtures of this arsenical and hydrated lime usually exert fairly 
satisfactory control if used with extreme caution. The use of paris 
green, however, entails a considerable hazard of folage burning. 
The hand- picking of larvae can frequently be practiced to advantage 
where the acreage is limited. The destruction of tobacco plants 
immediately after harvest and fall plowing are valuable means of 
reducing the numbers of this insect pest. 
Flea beetle injury, which is most serious on wrapper tobacco, should 
be combated with preventive and with direct control measures. The 
most important preventive measure is the complete destruction of all 
tobacco stalks immediately after the crop is harvested. The most 
satisfactory direct control remedy for this insect consists in the 
application of a cube- or derris-root powder and sterilized tobacco 
dust mixture, containing 1 percent of rotenone. 
Cutworms and grasshoppers may be controlled with poisoned-bran 
bait, the preparation and application of which are discussed in detail. 
Cultural control measures are also of value against these pests. 
