Lasioderma serricorne

Biocontrol of the cigarette beetle

Common name: Cigarette beetle
Scientific name: Lasioderma serricorne
Order: Coleoptera
Affects: Stored tobacco, both raw and the manufactured product
Main season: All year round

Prays citri

General information

The cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne causes extensive damage to stored tobacco, both raw and the manufactured product.

This insect also feeds on different products of animal and vegetable origin: seeds, grain, cocoa and packaged food products that have been stored for long periods of time. In addition, it is a serious pest causing particular damage to herbal plant specimens.

The adult can easily perforate thick plastic containers and cardboard boxes, causing serious problems for packaged food products, which cannot be sold.

Lasioderma serricorne

Morphology biology

The adult beetle is small, oval-shaped and a yellow-reddish or brown-reddish colour. It measures from 2 to 2.5 mm long. Its head is bent forward almost at a right angle to its body, so it appears to have a pronounced humpback when looked at from the side.

adult  Lasioderma serricorne

The larvae are a yellowish-white colour and shaped like a caterpillar. Each larva has three pairs of legs and a brown head. They measure a maximum size of 2 to 3 mm.

pupa, adult and larva of Lasioderma serricorne

The adult beetle has a lifespan lasting 2 to 4 weeks. The adult females lay approximately 100 eggs over a lifespan of 6 to 20 days. The eggs are oval-shaped and a white colour. They take 6 to 10 days to hatch.

When the larva emerges, it perforates the stored products causing damage to the tobacco and infesting it. Larvae reach their maximum growth in 30 to 50 days. They then enter into pupal stage, which lasts for 8 to 10 days or more, depending on the temperature. The pupae are covered by a silky cocoon containing food.

The developmental period from egg to adult is variable, but it usually lasts between 6 and 8 weeks under the favourable conditions of humidity and temperature (20-37 °C). Lasioderma serricorne cannot tolerate the cold weather, the adults die within 6 days if the temperature is at 4 °C and the eggs only survive for 5 days at temperatures from 0 to 5 °C.

Source: Departamento de Entomología de la Universidad de Pennsylvania and Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO).


Damages


Lasioderma serricorne causes serious damage to tobacco products. The adults and larvae can easily perforate the thick packaging of stored products and cause damage by infesting the tobacco.

Damages of Lasioderma serricorne


Detection and monitoring

Place 1 to 3 traps in each storage room, separated at least 5 m apart from each other. The traps must be active all year round in warehouses where tobacco products are stored.


Mass trapping

The males of this species are captured in order to reduce mating, meaning that the unfertilised females will lay unviable eggs. This greatly reduces the population of the pest.

For mass trapping, the number of traps must be increased up to 4 traps per 100 m2 of warehouse and separated at least 5 m apart from each other.


Necessary material


An ECONEX LASIODERMA TRAP (Code: TA234) and a pheromone diffuser ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE 2 MG 40 DAYS (Code: VA162), which lasts for 40 days in normal field conditions.


ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE 2 MG 40 DAYS

ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE 2 MG 40 DAYS pheromone diffuser and packaging of the product
(Code: VA162)

ECONEX LASIODERMA TRAP

ECONEX LASIODERMA TRAP
(Code: TA234)

The ECONEX LASIODERMA trap consists of a white adhesive sheet, 0.3 mm thick and made of PET. This sheet is coated on its inner side with a pressure-sensitive adhesive (without solvents), which is protected by a sheet of silicone paper. It is used to trap Lasioderma serricorne insects.

The trap provided is unfolded and measures 40 x 12.5 cm. Once folded, it is prism-shaped and measures 12 x 10.5 x 13 cm.

The trap does not include the pheromone diffuser.

unfolded trap

ECONEX LASIODERMA TRAP (unfolded)


Assembly of the trap

Fold the trap along the marked guidelines, without inserting the upper tab. Remove the sheet of silicone paper. Insert the upper tab into the grooves of the trap and adjust it to fit.

assembly of the trap


Activation of the trap

Place the pheromone diffuser ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE on the base of the trap, where it will remain fixed by the glue. The trap should be placed on the ground and preferably close to a wall.

Pheromone diffuser placed on the base of the trap

Pheromone diffuser placed on the base of the trap


Packaging difussers


ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE 2 MG 40 DAYS

Corrugated cardboard box of 3.000 units (150 packs of 20 units).
Box size: 0.60 x 0.40 x 0.35 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 10.20 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 20
Pallet size: 1.20 x 0.80 x 1.90 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 210 kg.

Pack of 20 units.

Pack of 20 units.
Including an information leaflet about product use.

Box of 3.000 units

Box of 3.000 units.
(150 packs x 20 units)


Packaging traps


ECONEX LASIODERMA TRAP

Corrugated cardboard box of 500 units.
Box size: 0.42 x 0.29 x 0.21 m (length x width x height).
Box weight: 12.70 kg.
No. of boxes per pallet: 50
Pallet size: 1.20 x 0.80 x 1.55 m (length x width x height).
Pallet weight: 645 kg.

Box of 500 units

Box of 500 units.


Recommended information:


ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE LEAFLET

Leaflet in PDF format that can be downloaded by clicking on the image.

ECONEX LASIODERMA SERRICORNE LEAFLET


ECONEX WEB RESOURCES

Section of the ECONEX corporate website that allows you access to online information about ECONEX solutions for the biocontrol of other relevant agricultural and forest pests.

To access ECONEX WEB RESOURCES click on the image.

web resources