Like the drugstore beetle the tobacco
beetle is also related to the furniture beetle. Adult cigarette
beetles are yellowish- to reddish-brown, oval-shaped, and about
1/10-inch long. The head is bent downward sharply, nearly at
right angles to the body, giving a humpbacked appearance when
viewed from the side. The wing covers (elytra) are smooth,
and the antennal segments are uniform and saw-like (serrate).
Looking at the pictures below will aid identification:
Some Biology:
Female cigarette beetles lay about 30 eggs
in a period of 3 weeks. Eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days. The larval
stage lasts from 5 to 10 weeks with larvae shunning light.
The pupal and prepupal periods last 2 to 3 weeks and are
passed in a cell. The life cycle lasts from 70 to 90 days,
and there may be 5 to 6 overlapping generations per year
in warm localities with only one generation in the more temperate
regions. Adults are strong flyers and active in subdued light
at temperatures above 65°F. Adult beetles may live from 23
to 28 days. In temperate climates, beetles begin swarming
in May and again in August. Overwintering may be passed in
the larval stage, with some adults not too resistant to cold
hibernating in crevices. In warehouses, the life cycle may
be completed in 52 days.
Click
here to continue 
|
