Lasioderma serricorne

Lasioderma serricorne
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Ptinidae
Genus: Lasioderma
Species:
L. serricorne
Binomial name
Lasioderma serricorne
(Fabricius, 1792)
Synonyms
  • Lasioderma breve (Wollaston, 1861)
  • Lasioderma castaneum (Melsheimer, 1845)
  • Lasioderma flavescens (Dahlbom, 1837)
  • Lasioderma fuscum (Rey, 1892)
  • Lasioderma testaceum Duftschmidt, 1825
  • Lasioderma torquatum (Chevrolat, 1859)
  • Pseudochina fuscum (Rey, 1892)
  • Ptinus serricornis Fabricius, 1792
  • Ptinus testaceus (Duftschmidt, 1825)
  • Xyletinus brevis (Wollaston, 1861)
  • Xyletinus torquatum (Chevrolat, 1859)

Lasioderma serricorne, more commonly referred to as the cigarette beetle, cigar beetle, or tobacco beetle, is a small beetle that shares a remarkable resemblance with the drugstore beetle (Stegobium paniceum) and the common furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum). The cigarette beetle, along with the drugstore and furniture beetles, all belong to the beetle family Ptinidae. The cigarette beetle can be distinguished from A. punctatum by its flatter thorax, whereas the A. punctatum boasts a humped thorax. The cigarette beetle can be further differentiated from S. paniceum with its uniformly serrated antennae with unmodified apex, unlike the three-segmented apical "club" of S. paniceum. Additionally, L. serricorne has more no grooves in its elytra, or hardened wing covers, compared to A. punctatum and S. paniceum’s deep grooving.

In addition to cigarette beetle, other common names for L. serricorne include “tobacco bug,” “tobacco borer,” “tobacco weevil” and “cheroot beetle”.[1] Lastly, another common name for the species is “tow bug,” after the species’ tendency to feed on upholstery fillings such as tow, hemp, and flax.[2]

The cigarette beetle measures between 2 and 3 mm in length, making the cigarette beetle relatively small. The cigarette beetle is characterized by its brown coloration. Despite its diminutive size, the cigarette beetle is a significant pest in tobacco related industries for which it gets its namesake. Beyond tobacco, the cigarette beetle will infest most dry goods, including cereals, dried fruits, herbs, flour, and certain animal products.[3]

Geographically, L. serricorne is naturally found in pan-tropical regions, but they have been distributed all over the world through the dried goods trade. The distribution and success of reproduction of the species is heavily tied to their environment. Larvae of the cigarette beetle require temperatures between 15 °C and 40 °C in order to successfully hatch, with the most optimal range for fecundity being between 30 °C and 33 °C. While the cigarette beetle can be found globally, this temperature preference allows the species to thrive best in tropical zones where temperature conditions are most suitable to this ideal range.[4]

L. serricorne to scale

The cigarette beetle also has strong flight capability, which contributes to its migration pattern. This ability to move efficiently between infested food sources to uninfested food sources greatly contributes to the species’ success as a pest and its geographic range.[5]

The primary food source for this species includes the stored commodities they infest, such as spices, seeds, rice, cereals, and most notably, dried tobacco leaves. [6]The food source of the cigarette beetle significantly influences fecundity, developmental time, survival rates, and body weight. Interestingly, the lowest fecundity was reported with tobacco leaves as a food source, while flour produced the highest fecundity.[7]

  1. ^ Maxwell-Lefroy, Harold (1906). Indian Insect Pests. Office of the Superintendent of government printing.
  2. ^ Hartnack, Hugo. "202 Common Household Pests of North America." 202 Common Household Pests of North America. (1939).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Allotey-1993 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).