Foreground, shade-grown tobacco stunted by aphid feeding; background, tobacco protected by 



insecticides. 



they are green at first but soon 

 turn shiny black. It is only in the 

 egg stage that the aphids survive 

 subzero temperatures. The eggs 

 hatch in the spring. Usually, the 

 second or third spring genera- 

 tion infests tobacco. 



DAMAGE TO TOBACCO 



Aphids damage the tobacco 

 plant by sucking the juices from 

 the leaves. When aphids are 

 abundant the plants become 

 stunted. Leaves from these plants 

 are thin and lifeless when cured. 

 A severely damaged leaf may die 

 or may ripen prematurely. 



Aphids contaminate tobacco by 

 depositing cast skins and an ex- 

 cretion, known as honeydew, on 

 the leaves. Honeydew causes the 

 leaves to stick together, and it 

 cannot be removed from the har- 

 vested leaves without damaging 

 them. It mildews in wet weather 

 and gives the leaves a blackish 

 appearance. 



Aphid damage quickly ruins a 

 cigar-wrapper tobacco crop, be- 

 cause imperfect leaves cannot be 

 used as wrappers. Other types of 

 tobacco usually are not ruined, 

 but their quality and yield are 

 reduced. On types of tobacco that 

 are harvested by cutting the 



