HE TOBACCO THRIPS, A NEW AND DESTRUCTIVE ENEMY OF 

 SHADE-GROWN TOBACCO. * 



A/ ips nicotiana I Iin<l<. i 



INTRODUCTION. 



In accordance with the authorization of the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture and the instructions of Dr. L. (). Howard, the writer left Wash- 

 ington, D. C.j April 14, 1005. to investigate certain injury to shade 

 tobacco at Quincy, Fla. He arrived at Quincy April 16 and -pent 

 the following two months in the work. Having readied what seemed 

 to be a satisfactory result, he left there on June 16. June -27 was 

 spent at Palestine. Tex., and June 28 and 29 at Nacogdoches, Tex., in 

 examination of tobacco fields. At Quincy the writer was associated 

 with Mr. W. W. Cobey, tobacco-breeding expert of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry, from whom valuable advice and suggestions were 

 ived. The writer again visited Quincy m October, 1905, and spent 

 two weeks in a further examination. A continuation of the work was 

 planned for 1906, but could not be carried out, although a visit was 

 made at Quincy in November to determine the result- obtained 

 where remedial measures had been employed. 



HISTORY. 



The first report of thrips injuring tobacco in this country, so far as 

 the writer is aware, was made by Dr. F. II. Chittenden in 1904, 6 the 

 species concerned being considered a< Euthrips tritici Fitch. As will 

 be seen from the following pages, additional material showed that 

 the insect concerned is a new species, Euthrips nicotiana Hind-. 



A Russian, Lindeman, c first described scientifically in L888 a 

 species of thrips, Tin ips tabaci, which he reported as doing great 

 damage to tobacco in that country. While this same species is gen- 

 erally distributed in our own country and although it- 1 i — r of food 

 plant- is lame it is nt.t recorded as having attacked tobacco here. 



Several communications were received bv this Bureau during the 



"Circular N T o. 68, published February, 1906, gives a brief account of Hie 

 insert and remedies recommended by the writer. 



& Yearbook of the (J. s. Department of Agriculture for t'.xu. p. 605, 190 

 Die Srhiidli. listen Insekten des Tabak in Bessarablen, Bull. Sot imp. 

 Natur., Moscow, pp. 51-65. 1888. See also Targtoni-Tosaetti, Animal! ed 

 Insetti del Tabacco, pp. i"_'_ v 224, 1891. 



