Cigar Beetle and Larder Beetle. 
125 
The Cigar Beetle. 
(. Lasioclerma testcccea, Duf.) 
Dr. Christy, of St. James Place, forwarded some Indian cigars, a 
case of which were being seriously damaged by a small beetle. The 
pest is known as the Cigar Beetle ( Lasioclerma testcicea , Duf.), and 
is closely related to the American, West Indian, and almost cosmopo- 
litan Cigarette Beetle ( Lasioclerma serricorne). It is recorded from 
India as attacking cheroots, rice, saffron, the leaf coverings of opium 
balls, etc. 
They have been noticed largely in Burmah cheroots, and are 
frequently found in Manilla cigars and cheroots. It is almost cosmo- 
politan, and attacks most dry vegetable substances. I do not 
remember having seen it in Havana cigars. The egg stage lasts from 
eight to sixteen days. The grub stage normally takes six weeks, but 
under unfavourable conditions it may last for a year or more. The 
pupal stage lasts about eight days. 
The beetles may live for two months. The development of the 
larvre is hastened and retarded by heat and cold. Both larvae and 
beetles do the damage ; a single tunnel into the cigar, as a rule, stops 
it drawing, so that the damage done by a comparatively small number 
of beetles and their larvae in a case may often be considerable. This 
pest, when a case is opened and found to be infested, may easily 
be checked by bisulphide fumigation. 
The Larder Beetle. 
(Dermestes lard arms, Linn.) 
The Larder Beetle previously mentioned (p. 45) was sent with 
various enquiries by a correspondent from Wantage. 
This beetle is also known as the Bacon Beetle. As far as 
personal observations go it lays its eggs first in May and on through 
the year in successive broods, under favourable conditions. 
No observations have been made on the length of egg-life. The 
lame that I have kept under observation took nearly five weeks to 
reach maturity, but I believe they may do so in four weeks. 
Hams and bacon affected by this pest should have the parts 
invaded by the insects cut away and washed with a strong solution 
of salicylate of soda. Store rooms in which this pest has occurred 
should be well swept out and either fumigated with bisulphide of 
carbon or hydrocyanic acid gas. 
