Workers of Mischief.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20440, 19 October 1934, Page 6

Workers of Mischief.

Nature Notes

By James Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S.

ON GST introduced insects that lurk in dark places, and are little known, but work mischief, there is a species of beetle that attracted the attention of Mr J. N. Ross, Clinton, Otago. “ A member of our household on going to the cupboard for some pepper,” he wrote. “ was surprised to find a large number of insects in a tin. They seemed to thrive on their somewhat fiery diet. The pepper was placed in the tin immediately it was bought. At that time there were no signs of insects in the tin.” The species does not seem to have a popular name. Mr G. V. Hudson, who was good enough to examine Mr Ross’s peppery visitors, has supplied their official name, Ptinus tectus, and has branded them as a world-wide domestic pest. They are oval and are only one-eighth of an inch long. What they lack in size they make up in beauty, hidden to the naked eye, but revealed by a lens. Their wing-covers are bright brown or bronzy, and their heads are chocolate colour. Their long jointed feelers, which look like pieces of brow ? n thread, are waved continually. The Old Country must be blamed for sending this species to New Zealand. Textbooks do not mention that it can live on hot stuff, but a recent natural history book has a note that during the past thirty years it has become a serious pest in England, eating all sorts of groceries and stored provisions.

Mr A. Philpott, of Wellington, had experience of this species of beetle, or a closely related one, when he began to make a collection of New Zealand moths and butterflies. The little beetles blunted their sharp appetites on the specimens, and he discovered that he had to contend with the worst things a collection of insects must be guarded against.