FARMEES BULLETIN 843. 



Fig. 1. — The peoan nut case-bearer (Acrobu. 

 Molh. Jrucli enlar.ijed. 



in various localities in Texas. 

 Until very recently this in- Ij 

 sect has not been reported f! 

 in the cnltivated orchards 

 east of Texas, but within 

 the last few years it has 

 become a serious pest in 

 some localities in Florida, 

 Georgia, Alabama, J^Iissis- 

 sippi, and Louisiana. It 

 would se«m that this species 

 is extentUng its range of destructiveness, and in view of the large 

 acreage of pecan orchards now bearing or cpmhig into bearing, sooner 

 or later it probably will prove a most formidable pest thi'oughout 

 the gi'eater j^art of the pecan belt. 



DESCRIPTION. 



In the couise of development the pecan nut case-boarer passes 

 through four distinct stages, namely, the egg, the larva or ''worm," 

 the pupa or resting stage, and the adult or moth. The grayish- 

 black moth (fig. 1) has a \\'ing spread of about tlu-ee-fourths of an 

 inch. The head and thorax are bro\\'nish and the abdomen is yellowish 

 gi-ay. The f orewings are gi-ayish black 

 and each has a ridge or tuft of long 

 black scales extending across it near 

 the basal end. The hindwings are 

 much brighter than the forewings and 

 mthout any conspicuous markings. ^B M 



The egg is irregularly oval in out- ^ f 



line. When first laid it is white, with 

 a greenish tinge, but as incubation 

 proceeds it becomes pinldsh or reddish. 

 It is iridescent in some hghts. 



Tlic fidl-gro\ni larva, or caterpUlar 

 (fig. 2, at right), is about one-half inch 

 in length, and the general color of the 

 body is dirty ohve gi-een. The sldn 

 of the body is wrinkled into folds and 

 is spai-sely covered with inconspicuous 

 hairs. The head and mouth parts arc 

 dark brown, and the cen-ical shield, 

 or neck, is pale broAVti, bisected bv 



. , . . ,, -^ I'lG. 2.— The peean nut case-hearer: Pupa 



an mconspiCUOUS Whltlsh-yellow area. at left, larva at right. Uwh enlarged. 



