Figure 9. Injury to nuts caused by first generation larvae of the pecan nut casebearer.
The adults deposit eggs in grooves on the tips or bases of the nuts. Second-generation larvae which hatch from these eggs also feed in the nuts. Less injury is produced by this generation because the nuts are larger and each larva requires only one or two nuts to complete its development. Pupation takes place in the hollowed out nuts, [Figure 13], and the moths emerge from late July to early September.
A third generation usually follows, but the shells of the nuts have become hard, and only a few of them are penetrated by the larvae. Instead, they feed in the shucks. A number of third-generation larvae construct hibernacula, while the remainder pupate and appear as adults, emerging from late August to October. These adults deposit eggs, which hatch into fourth-generation larvae. If nuts are available, their shucks constitute the principal food of the larvae of this generation. In the absence of nuts, the larvae feed on buds and leaf stems. Overwintering hibernacula are constructed by the partially grown larvae by the middle of November[2].
Control.—The necessity for control of this pest may be determined by examination of the trees when the shoots appear in the spring. If a number of them are wilted, the following control measures probably will be required.
A spray application should be made when eggs of the first generation appear on the tips of the young nuts in late April or May. The period of egg deposition usually coincides with the completion of pollination, at which time the tips of the nuts turn brown. Satisfactory control may be obtained by using any of several insecticides. See spray schedule, [page 4].
Ordinarily, only one application of spray is required to control the nut casebearer. However, if trees surrounding the treated area are not sprayed, moths may enter the sprayed area and a serious infestation of second-generation larvae may develop. Under these circumstances, a second spray may be required in June or early July when second-generation eggs are deposited[6], [11].
HICKORY SHUCKWORM
The hickory shuckworm, Laspeyresia caryana (Fitch), frequently causes severe injury to pecans. In the late summer and fall the shucks are tunneled out. As a result, the nuts are slower to mature and the kernels do not develop properly. The shucks stick to the nuts and fail to open, thus increasing the difficulty of harvest.
The adult shuckworm is a dark, grayish-black moth with a wing span of a little over one-half inch. The larva is white with a light brown head. It attains a length of three-eighths inch at maturity.
The winter is passed by the larvae in fallen pecan or hickory shucks. They pupate in late winter and emerge as adults during the spring. The adults deposit eggs principally on hickory trees on the leaves and young nuts, and the larvae feed in developing nuts in early summer.