TOBACCO INSECTS IN HAWAII. 



INTRODUCTION. 



A general account of the insects known to feed on tobacco was 

 presented as a bulletin of this station by D. L. Van Dine. 2 This 

 bulletin, however, was prepared while the experimental work on 

 tobacco was still in progress and before any large areas had been 

 planted. In the meantime the industry has become established and 

 the plantings greatly extended, and in view of the facilities for obtain- 

 ing and importance of having actual and complete information in 

 regard to the pests encountered in the tobacco fields, the entomo- 

 logical work reported herein was begun several years ago and con- 

 tinued to date. The present paper, then, is intended to supplement 

 the information contained in the previous bulletin, and in addition 

 to listing the insects gives an account of the distribution, life history, 

 habits, means of control, and natural enemies of each of the species 

 enumerated, together with other data gathered through study and 

 observation during the course of the work. 



The principal tobacco pests are cutworms, splitworm, pod-borer, 

 hornworm, flea-beetle, and cigarette beetle. Many minor pests are 

 also encountered without being especially destructive. These may 

 be discussed in two categories, namely, those affecting the plant and 

 those affecting the product. 



INSECTS AFFECTING THE PLANT. 



CUTWORMS. 



Cutworm is a general term used to designate the large ground- 

 inhabiting caterpillars of the noctuid moths which usually leave their 

 diurnal retreats at night to feed on any vegetation at hand. H Peelua " 

 is the native word by which these worms are known. The Noctuidae 

 are represented in these islands by 35 or more native and introduced 

 species. Of these, however, only eight are commonly found in culti- 

 vated fields; the others are more or less confined to the mountains 

 and the native flora and are not generally encountered as agricultural 



1 The habits and life histories of the cutworms, splitworm, tobacco pod-borer, hornworm, tobacco flea» 

 beetle, and cigarette beetle, and a number of pests of minor importance in Hawaii are described, and prac* 

 tical recommendations are made regarding the control of each of them. 



* Hawaii Sta. Bui. 10. 



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