Dec. 15,1924 Tobacco Flea-Beetle in Southern Cigar- Wrapper District 581 
time the egg was ruptured, the anal 
segment was pulled clear of the shell, 
and the tiny larva crawled under the 
shelter of a large grain of sand to rest. 
Habits and behavior. —When 
first hatched, the tiny whitish larvae 
quickly start an active search for food. 
In their normal subterranean habitat 
they probably work their way through 
the loose soil, but in the covered rearing 
boxes of firmly packed earth, when 
food was available, they seldom bur¬ 
rowed below the surface. 
The natural food of the tobacco 
flea-beetle larva is the tiny fibrous 
rootlets of the tobacco plant and other 
plants of the family Solanaceae. The 
young larva frequently bores into a 
root and tunnels it, but this habit, 
though common in the first instar, 
seems rare in the second and third 
instars. Tfye older larva usually gir¬ 
dles a root or gnaws completely through 
it, severing it from the plant. No 
records of larvae feeding above ground 
have ever been obtained except under 
laboratory conditions. In the labora¬ 
tory the best results were obtained by 
feeding with sprouted tobacco seed. 
Under these conditions several larvae 
have been observed to feed upon the 
small green cotyledonous leaves. Once 
the larva has begun feeding, it seldom 
moves about except in search of more 
food. 
Table II.— Length of instars of the tobacco flea-beetle (Epitrix parvula Fab.) at 
Quincy , Fla., 1922 
Date and time 
of day egg 
hatched 
Date and time of 
day larva molted 
to second instar 
Length 
of 
first 
instar 
Date and time of 
day larva molted 
to third instar 
Length 
of 
second 
instar 
Date and time of 
day larva 
pupated 
Length 
of 
third 
instar 
Total 
length 
of larval 
stage 
1922 
1922 
Days 
1922 
Days 
1922 
Days 
Days 
May 12, a. m... 
May 20, a. m_ 
8 
May 25, p. m... 
5% 
June 3, a. m- 
s'A 
22 
Do.. 
May 19, a. m_ 
7 
May 22, m. 
334 
May 29, p. m... 
7% 
17 y 2 
Do_ 
May 18, a. m_ 
6 
Mav 21, m_ 
334 
May 30j a. m_ 
8 % 
18' ’ 
May 12, m 
May 19, a. m_ 
6 % 
May 23, a. m_ 
4 ‘ 
June 1, in. 
9 % 
20 
May 13, a. m._. 
May 20, a. m_ 
i ‘ 
May 24' a. m— 
4 
June 4, a. m. 
11 
22 
Do.. 
May 19, a. m_ 
6 
May 23, a. m_ 
4 
May 30, p. m... 
7 % 
17 A 
May 22, p. m.._ 
May 27, p. m... 
5 
May 31, p. m... 
4 
June 8, a, m. 
m 
1634 
May 23, m_ ... 
May 28, m_ 
5 
June 2, p. m_ 
534 
June 9, a. m_ 
6 y 2 
10% 
Dol.. 
May 28, a. m_ 
4% 
June 1, p. m_ 
4 % 
June 8, m. 
0 % 
16' “ 
Do. 
May 28, p. m_ 
5% 
June 2, p. m_ 
5 
June 8, a., m_ 
5% 
' 15% 
Do . . 
May 27, p. m... 
4% 
June 1, p. m_ 
5 
June 7, p. m. 
6 
15% 
Do_ 
May 28, a. m_ 
4% 
_dol.".. 
4Y 2 
June 8, in.. 
6% 
16' 
Do.. 
May 28, p. m_ 
5% 
June 2, a. m. 
4% 
June 3, a. m. 
6 
15% 
Do.... 
May 27' p. m... 
4 Vi 
May 31, a. m_ 
3 % 
June 10, a. m_ 
10 
17?i 
Do.. 
_do_ 
4% 
May 31, p. m_ 
4 
June 7, a. m. 
oy 2 
14% 
Do_ 
May 28, a. m_ 
4% 
June 1, p~ m_ 
4 % 
June 9^ a. m. 
734 
16% 
Do. 
May 27, a. m_ 
3 % 
May 30, p. m_ 
3% 
June 7, a. m_ 
7 % 
14% 
Do.. 
May 28^ a. m_ 
4% 
June 1, p*. m_ 
4 % 
June 8, a. m_ 
6% 
15% 
Do. . 
May 27, a. m_ 
3% 
May 31,‘a. m_ 
4 
June 8, p. m_ 
8% 
16% 
May 24, a. m... 
May 28, a. m_ 
4 
June 2, a. m. 
5 
June 9' a. m. 
7 
16' 
June 5, a. m_ 
June 11, a. m_ 
6 
June 14, p. m_ 
PA 
June 20, a. m_ 
5% 
15 
Do.. 
June 12, a. m_ 
7 
June 16, a. m_ 
4 
June 22, a. m_ 
6 
17 
Do. 
_ .do_ 
7 
June 15, a. m_ 
3 
June 23j a. m_ 
8 
18 
Do. 
June 10, p. m_ 
5 % 
June 13, p. m_ 
3 
June 21, a. m_ 
7 y 2 
16 
Do. 
June 12, a. m_ 
7 
June 14, p. m_ 
2% 
June 20, a. m_ 
5% 
15 
Do.. 
June 10, p. m_ 
5 % 
June 13' a. m_ 
2A 
. ...do.l. 
7 
15 
Do_ 
June 12, a. m_ 
7 
June 14, a. m_ 
2 
June 21, a. m_ 
7 
16 
Do. 
June loj p. m_ 
5 % 
_do.l.. 
3% 
June 19, p. m_ 
5% 
14% 
Do... 
June 11, a. m_ 
6 
June 14, p. m_ 
3 % 
June 20' a. m_ 
5% 
15 
Do_ 
June 10, a. m_ 
5 
June 13, a. m- 
3 
June 19, a. m_ 
6 
14 
Do. 
June 10, p. m_ 
5% 
June 14, a. m_ 
3A 
June 19, p. m_ 
5% 
14% 
Do 
June 11, a'm ... 
6 
June 15, a. m_ 
4 
_do_ 
4% 
14% 
Do 
June 11, p. m__ _ 
6% 
June 14, a. m_ 
2 A 
.do.. 
5A 
14% 
Do.... 
June 11, a. m_ 
6 
June 13) a. m_ 
2 
June 18, a. m_ 
5 
13 
Do.. 
_do.l_ 
6 
June 14, a. m_ 
3 
June 19, a. m_ 
5 
14 
Do 
June 11, p. m_ 
6% 
June 15j p. m_ 
4 
June 24, a. m_ 
8 y 2 
19 
Do.. 
_do__ 
6% 
June 14, a. m_ 
2 y 2 
June 20, p. m_ 
6 A 
15% 
Do.. 
June 13, a. m_ 
8 
June 16j p. m_ 
3 H 
June 25, a. m_ 
8% 
20' ' 
June 16, a. m 
June 20, p. m__ . 
4 % 
June 24^ p. m_ 
4 
June 29, m_ 
4% 
13% 
Do 
June 21, a. m_ 
5 
June 24, a. m_ 
3 
June 29, a* m_ 
5 
13 
Do_ 
_do__ 
5 
. __do_.. 
3 
June 30, p. m_ 
6 A 
14% 
June 17, a. m 
June 22, a. m_ 
5 
June 25, p. m_ 
3 % 
July 2, a. m_ 
6 y 2 
15 
Do_ 
June 23, a. m..__ 
6 
_do.l.".. 
2% 
_Ido.. 
6% 
15 
June 29, a. m... 
July 3, p. m. 
4 k 
July 8, a. m_ 
4% 
July 16, p. m_ 
m 
17% 
Do 
July 5, a. m_ 
6 
July 9, a. m. 
4 
July 15, a. m_ 
6 
16 
June 30, a. m... 
July 4, a. m_ 
4 
July 8, a. m. 
4 
July 14, a. m_ 
6 
14 
Do. 
July 3, a. m_ 
3 
July 7, a. m_ 
4 
July 12, a. m_ 
5 
12 
Do.. 
July 4, a. m_ 
4 
.do. 
3 
July 13, a. m_ 
6 
13 
Do. 
July 6, a. m_ 
6 
July 9, p. m_ 
3% 
July 15, p. m_ 
6 
15% 
Do_ 
July 4, a. m_ 
4 
July 7, p. m_ 
3% 
July 12, p. m_ 
5 
12% 
Total number of larvae, 50; average length of first instar, 5.48 days; average length of second instar, 3.67 
days; average length of third instar, 6.70 days; average length of larval stage, 15.85 days. 
