UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



StZF^OL 



1 BULLETIN No. 571 



Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 

 L. O. HOWARD, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



December 15, 1917 



THE PECAN LEAF CASE-BEARER. 1 



By John B. Gill, Entomological Assistant, Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations, 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction ' 1 



History 2 



Synonymy 3 



Distribution 3 



Food plants 4 



Character of injury 5 



Description — 6 



Seasonal history and habits 8 



Natural enemies 14 



Methods of control 15 



Dipping and spraying tests for the de- 

 struction of larvae in hibernation 15 



Page. 

 Methods of control — Continued. 



Spraying experiments for the destruction 



of larvae in hibernation 16 



Spraying experiments against overwin- 

 tered larvae 18 



Spraying experiments against larvae in 



the summer 19 



Fumigation experiments against hiber- 

 nating larvae 23 



Summary 25 



Recommendations for control 26 



Literature cited 27 



INTRODUCTION. 



Because of the increasing importance of the pecan industry the 

 Bureau of Entomology in 1913 established a field station at Mon- 

 ticello, Fla., for the purpose of studying pecan insects under the most 

 advantageous cpnditions. The writer was placed in charge of the 

 investigations, under the direction of Dr. A. L. Quaintance. In the 

 spring of 1914 Mr. A. I. Fabis was detailed to assist in the work of 

 this station. Extensive investigations, covering a period of nearly 

 four years, have shown the value of certain repressive measures for 

 the control of some of the more injurious pecan insects and have 

 resulted in the compilation of considerable data on their life histories 

 and natural enemies. One of the principal insect pests with which 

 the pecan grower has to contend is the pecan leaf case-bearer (Acro- 

 basis nebulella Riley) . The present publication is intended to give the 

 information now available concerning the life history and control 

 of this insect. 



The writer wishes to thank the various pecan growers who have 

 rendered assistance in this work. 



1 Acrobasis nebulella Riley; order Lepidoptera, family Pyralidae, 

 102524°— 17— Bull. 571—1 



