CIRCULAR No. 422 MARCH 1937 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



BIOLOGY OF THE TOBACCO MOTH AND ITS CONTROL 

 IN CLOSED STORAGE 



By W. D. Reed, associate entomologist, and E. M. Livingstone, junior entomol- 

 ogist, Division of Truck Crop and Garden Insect Investigations, Bureau of 

 Entomology and Plant Quarantine 1 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction _____ 1 



History and distribution of the tobacco moth__ 1 



Injury to tobacco 3 



Economic importance of tobacco moth 



infestation 4 



General discussion of the insect 5 



The adult I 5 



The egg 8 



The larva 8 



The pupa 10 



Seasonal history 11 



Life-history studies of 1932 and 1933 12 



Methods and apparatus 12 



Spring emergence, 1932 r 13 



Page 

 Life-history studies of 1932 and 1933— Contd. 



O viposition and longevity ] 4 



Temperature 15 



Incubation period 16 



Larval period 17 



Pupal period 18 



Length of life cycle 19 



Control 20 



Natural enemies 20 



Temperature 21 



Artificial control in closed storage 21 



Summary 36 



Literat ure cited _ _ 37 



INTRODUCTION 



During the years 1931 to 1934 the writers devoted considerable time 

 to the study and observation of the life history, habits, and control of 

 the tobacco moth (Ephestia elutella Hbn.). This is a comparatively 

 new pest of cured tobacco in the United States, and, owing to the great 

 interest aroused by its discovery as a tobacco pest, two preliminary 

 papers have already been published. In 1930 Back and Reed (2)' 2 

 reported the discovery of this moth attacking flue-cured tobacco, and 

 in 1933 Reed et al. (18) published a progress report of studies on the 

 insect. Beginning in 1931, matings were made from the progeny of 

 each generation of moths reared in the laboratory and rearings ob- 

 tained for the succeeding generation. These life-history studies and 

 the more important observations covering a period of % years are 

 summarized in this circular. 



HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE TOBACCO MOTH 



The moth Ephestia elutella has been known for years by entomolo- 

 gists as a general feeder on dried vegetable products. Owing to its 

 diversity of food habits it has been transported by commerce to vari- 



1 The writers are grateful for the advice of E. A. Back, under whose direction this work 

 was carried out. and to A. W. Morrill, Jr., K. H. Smith, and C. W. Kearns for assistance 

 in carrying out the control experiments. 



- Italic numbers in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. b*. 



101216°— 37 1 



