PECAN PESTS 



1675 



remembered, however, that all the 

 branches containing eggs do not fall to 

 the ground. Some are never wholly cut 

 off, but even these topple over and can be 

 easily detected. Others are cut off but 

 lodge in the tree. Care should be exer- 

 cised to get all the branches— those in the 

 tree as well as those on the ground. 



Pecan-Tree Borer 



Sesia scitula Harris. 



Description 



The adult form Is a beautiful, clear- 

 winged moth, resembling the parent moth 

 of a peach-tree borer. The moths re- 

 semble wasps and, no doubt, are often 

 mistaken for them. The wings are clear 

 and the body and legs are marked with 

 yellow, all of which add to the similarity 

 to wasps. 



Injuries of the Pecan-Tree Borer 



The peach tree borer confines itself 

 almost exclusively to that part of the 

 trunk just below the ground and to the 

 roots of the peach tree. "Occasionally a 

 borer is found in the trunk above 

 ground." From my observations on the 

 habits of the pecan-tree borer I have 

 come to the conclusion that it invariably 

 works in the trunk and branches above 

 ground, thus differing decidedly from the 

 peach-tree borer. 



They are especially injurious to the 

 buds on large trees. That is, where the 

 limbs of a large pecan tree are cut back 

 and then budded, the buds are severely 

 attacked by this Insect and in order to 

 save the buds they require constant in- 

 spection. In smaller plants very few of 

 the borers are found. 



The larvae in attacking a tree select 

 some injured spot or some spot which has 

 been freshly cut, like a newly inserted 

 bud. 



Distribution 



The species is found in Canada, New 

 England, Middle States to Virginia, and 

 westward to Ohio and Illinois, Georgia 

 and Mississippi, and very likely all the 

 Gulf states. 



Food Plants 



Dr. Beutenmuller in his monograph 

 records it as occurring on oak, chestnut, 



dogwood, and probably on hickory and 

 willow. Its favorite food plant seems to 

 be the dogwood. 



Bemedies 



It will be readily seen that the problem 

 of protecting buds from the ravages of 

 these borers is a diflBlcult one. There re- 

 mains the final remedy of digging the 

 borers out. This is the remedy so univer- 

 sally used against the peach-tree borer. 

 The buds will have to be watched from 

 day to day and the borers removed as 

 soon as discovered. 



It is evident from the habits of this 

 insect that special pains must be taken 

 to prevent injury to the trees, especially 

 while cultivating them. The plow, har- 

 row, cultivator and other tools used in 

 cultivation must be kept from knocking 

 the bark off the trees. If the tree is in- 

 jured the wound should be sealed over 

 with wax or fresh cow manure and bound 

 tightly with rags. 



Pecan Weevil 



BaJanimiiS caryae Horn. 



*With the increase of pecan culture in 

 our Southern states frequent inquiry is 

 made in regard to the cause of the holes 

 in the nuts. The insect involved in these 

 cases is the pecan or hickory nut weevil, 

 a pest which is evidently destined to be- 

 come one of the principal drawbacks to 

 the cultivation of the pecan. Indeed, in 

 many parts of the South it already 

 divides that distinction with the husk- 

 worm, so that it has been truthfully said 

 that what the husk-worm leaves the 

 weevil detsroys. 



The beetle is a uniform dark brown, 

 nearly black, and the scaly covering is 

 hair-like on the thorax, fine and some- 

 what sparse on the wing-covers, and much 

 duller, with little or no mottling. 



The larva is decidedly yellow, having 

 the head bright red and wider than long. 

 Its cervical plate is dark. The pupa is 

 similar to that of the larger chestnut 

 weevil. (Which see.) 



The distribution extends from New 

 York to the G-ulf , and westward at least 

 to Iowa. 



* Bureau Entomology Circular 99. 



