1674 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OP PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



"This same moth frequently attacks the 

 buds of trees the first year after trans- 

 planting. Like the spring buds, they are 

 apt to open late and if weakly they are 

 liable to be damaged and the planter dis- 

 couraged. With sound healthy trees or 

 established summer buds, the case is dif- 

 ferent. The growth of such buds is well 

 advanced or made before the moth ap- 

 pears and consequently beyond the stage 

 liable to serious injury." 



Pecan Catocala 



Catocala viihiata Guen. 



There are often found on pecan trees 

 in the early spring, large, grayish cater- 

 pillars ravenously devouring the fresh, 

 tender leaves. Occasionally these cater- 

 pillars occur in considerable numbers and 

 their presence is always revealed by the 

 ragged and half-eaten leaves and bare 

 stems. They are exceedingly ravenous 

 feeders and defoliate the trees while in 

 tender leaf. 



When disturbed, these caterpillars are 

 very active, squirming and flopping about 

 like a fish out of water. 



The full grown larva is from two to 

 two and one-half inches long. The body, 

 in general, is dark, grayish green, with 

 various markings of darker and lighter 

 greens which give it a remarkable resem- 

 blance to the bark of the pecan trees on 

 which it is found resting when not eating. 

 The color of the caterpillar presages well 

 the color of the adult. 



Distrihution 



No doubt this insect occurs on the native 

 wild pecans and probably on hickories, 

 which are closely related to the pecan. 



Dyar, in his list of the Lepidoptera, 

 says it is distributed over the South At- 

 lantic states. 



Remedies 



Owing to the fact that the caterpillars 

 devour the pecan leaves, they may be de- 

 stroyed by the application of some arsen- 

 ical poison, applied at the time the larvae 



appear. 



Pecan Pniner 



Oncideres texana Horn 



The female of this species severs the 



pecan twigs, after which she lays her 



eggs in the cut branches. 



Eggs 

 These are imbedded between the bark 

 and wood in perforations made by the 

 female beetle. The opening is closed by 

 a gummy secretion. The eggs are about 

 two and one-half millimeters in length, 

 of a whitish color, and long, oval in 

 shape. Each egg is laid beneath a bud 

 and rarely beneath a small branch if it 

 be not more than one year old. 



Larvae 



These are white in color and from one- 

 half to three-fourths of an inch long. 

 They vary much in size. 



After hatching they soon burrow a 

 little distance into the wood and remain 

 there until the warm weather. During 

 following spring and summer they exca- 

 vate galleries in the dead branch just be- 

 neath the bark. Occasionally, one is 

 found burrowing in the solid wood. They 

 grow rather slowly and apparently little 

 wood satisfies them. 



The larvae exist in these cut-off 

 branches one year in most cases and then 

 ]iass into the pupal stage within the gal- 

 lery. Some larvae certainly pass another 

 winter in the branches. 



Before the larva changes to a pupa, 

 it cuts a pinhole in the bark near the end 

 of the gallery, and closes up the opening 

 of the burrow behind with long thread- 

 like shavings. 



Adalts 



These are grayish beetles from one-half 

 to five-eighths of an inch long. The male 

 is the smaller and has longer antennae. 

 The antennae of the female are only 

 slightly longer than the body, while those 

 of the male are considerably longer. The 

 wing covers are marked with irregularly 

 roundish, red spots. 



Distribution 



This species is probably quite widely 

 distributed over the Southern states. 



Food Plants 



Hickory, persimmon and pecans. 

 Prevention 



This insect can be easily controlled by 

 picking up the severed branches and 

 burning them in the autumn. It must be 



