SOME INSECTS AFFECTING CHEESE, HAMS, FRUIT, ETC. 107 



readily have beeu shown had an expert entoinolo^^ist been eaHed in, 

 that if the covering of the liams was sound, and had beeu kept intact 

 wliile in the hands of the Boston firm, as seems to liave been proven 

 by them, tJie eggs must have been hud before the liams left Cincinnati. 

 The difference in climate between Cincinnati and Boston would also 

 give added weight to the Boston claim. The lack of knowledge of the 

 actnal facts governing the case is shown by the written oi)inion of one 

 of the packing experts, who stated that, whereas the Cincinnati firm had 

 previously used manila paper in packing their hams, they had begun to 

 use husk, which was "very likely to contain the germ from which the 

 worm is bred." I 



The insect is hardly a factor in housekeeping except in the country, 

 where a farmer may put up a small number of lianjs for home consump- 

 tion during the ensuing year. In ordinary households a wormy ham 

 need only be returned to the dealer from whom it was bought. 



THE LARDER BEETLE. 



(Dermexies lardarha Linn.) 



A dark-brown beetle of the shape illustrated in the figure, with a 

 pale, yellowish-brown band containing six black dots across the upper 

 half of tlie wing covers, three-tenths of an inch in length. The larva 

 is brown and hairy, tapers from head to tail, and is furnished with 

 two short, curved, horny spines on top of the last joint of the body. 

 It is a common museum pest, and is found in many kinds of animal 

 food products, such as hams, bacon, and other kinds of meat, old cheese 

 (of which it seems to be especially fond), horn, hoofs, skins, beeswax, 

 silkworm cocoons, feathers, and hair. It has never been recorded as 

 damaging woolen cloth, and its popular name, •• larder" or -'bacon" 

 beetle, is a very appropriate one. 



The insect has long been known in the United States. It is also 

 found in all parts of P^urope and in Asia. It is considered by Dr. Ham- 

 ilton to be probably a native of the United States as Avell as introduced 

 by commerce. It seems to occur in all parts of this country. 



There are recorded no full and definite statements regarding the life 

 history of this species, and we have made no observations which will 

 enable us to give the length of life, duration of different stages, and 

 other facts of equal interest. Under favorable conditions, however, 

 the insect is unquestionably a rapid breeder. Miss Caroline E. Ileus- 

 tis, of St. John, IN'ew Brunswick, in the August (1878) number of the 

 Canadian Entomologist, states that five weeks after placing a fenuile 

 in a glass jar, with a i)iece of meat, she found a large and tlourisliing 

 colony of larvjc, most of them full grown. Dr. G. H. Horn, in the 

 Proceedings of the Entomological Society of riiiladelphia (Vol. 1. 1801, 

 p. -8), states that the insect remains in the pupa contlition for a i)eriod 

 varying from three or four days to a week, or even more, depending 

 principally on the warmtli of the localitv. Erom this statement we see 



