PECAN CATOCALA
Several species of catocalas, [Figure 21], among them Catocala maestosa Hlst., may strip the leaves of pecans in the spring leaving only the midribs. The caterpillars are very dark gray and attain a length of about 3 inches when full grown. They are very active when disturbed and move with a looping motion. Both the caterpillars and the moths are well camouflaged. When they rest on the trees during the day, their color so harmonizes with the color of the bark that they are frequently indistinguishable.
Control.—One application of 2 pounds of 50 percent DDT wettable powder per 100 gallons of water controls this pest. Although the majority of catocala larvae reach maturity before the time to spray for the nut casebearer, a number of them will be killed when the recommended spray is applied for the latter insect.