THE TOBACCO BEETLE. ey 
namely, those living in stored products and timber. Among these, 
besides the tobacco beetle (Lasioderma serricorne), may be men- 
tioned the larger tobacco beetle (Catorama tabaci) and the drug- 
store beetle (Sitodrepa panicea). The genus Lasioderma of Stephens 
contains only five known species. The tobacco beetle was first de- 
scribed from America in 1792 by Fabricius (1)* under the name 
Ptinus serricornis. 
. SYNONYMY. 
The following synonymy is given by Gemminger and Harold (16) : 
Lasioderma serricorne Fabricius, Ent. Syst. (1792), v. 1, p. 241; Muisant, Ann. 
Soe. Linn. Lyon (1864), v. 12, p. 1, pl. 1, fig. 10; Le Conte, Proc. Acad. Nat. 
Sci. Phila. (1865), p. 236. 
Lasioderma flavescens Dahibom, Dej. Cat. 3 ed. (1837), p. 129. 
Lasioderma testaceum Duftschmidt, Fauna Austr. (1859), Deutchl. Fauna In- 
secten (1837), v. 11, p. 89, pl: 237, fig. P. 
FOOD SUBSTANCES OF THE TOBACCO BEETLE. 
The tobacco beetle feeds upon a variety of dried vegetable sub- 
stances as well as upon a few dried animal substances. Early records 
describe the insect as feeding upon or living in “dried plants.” Its 
more common food is cured or manufactured tobacco. In drug and 
grocery stores it is often found infesting such substances as dried 
roots of various kinds, pressed yeast cakes, and seeds. The writer 
on one occasion found a collection of dried botanical specimens in a 
State museum badly injured by the pest. In the course of investiga- 
tions of the insect it has been reared from and found infesting or 
feeding upon the following substances: Cured leaf tobacco, manu- 
factured tobacco of various kinds, such as smoking and chewing 
tobacco, snuff, cigarettes, and cigars; tobacco seed, dried figs, cayenne 
pepper, ginger, dried dates, powdered orris root, curry powder, starch, 
pressed yeast cakes, and dried plants of different kinds in botanical 
collections. When large numbers of the beetles were required at 
times for experimental work it was found that they could be bred 
most conveniently in dried yeast cake (fig. 5). 
In addition to the food substances already mentioned, the insect 
has been reported in entomological literature as injuring or infesting 
opium, red pepper, rice, paprika, stock foods, turmeric, spices, saffron, 
heorice, bran, belladonna, and pyrethrum powder. Dr. J. B. Smith 
(59) also mentions injury to cane and rattan work of all kinds, books, 
and gun wads. Jones (77) reported the insect breeding in raisins 
in the Philippines. Van Dine (55) states that in the Hawaiian 
Islands the tobacco beetle is the most common and destructive pest 
1 Numbers in parenthesis refer to ‘‘ Bibliography,” p. 69. 
