Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Arthropoda
Subphylum	Hexapoda
Class	Insecta
Subclass	Pterygota
Infraclass	Neoptera
Superorder	Holometabola
Order	Lepidoptera
Superfamily	Pyraloidea
Family	Pyralidae
Subfamily	Phycitinae
Tribe	Phycitini
Genus	Acrobasis

Scientific Name

Acrobasis juglandis

Common Name

pecan leaf casebearer

Author: H. C. Ellis, Extension Entomologist

Description

The adult is a small, grayish-brown moth with a lighter colored head, thorax and wing bases. The moth is about 9.5 mm long. Larvae are dark green with shiny, dark brown heads. They are about 16 mm long when mature. Larvae may be found moving about partially encased in a conical, dark gray case.

Damage

During early spring, small larvae attack unfolding buds and foliage. When infestations are heavy, they can keep trees semi-defoliated for three to four weeks. Later, larvae feed sparingly on undersides of leaves and do little damage.

Seasonal History

Leaf casebearers overwinter as immature larvae in small cocoons around the buds. In the spring, they leave the winter cocoons and feed on unfolding buds and foliage (possibly late March - April). Larvae mature and pupate in the case they construct around themselves while feeding. Moths appear from mid-May until the first part of August. Moths lay eggs on the lower surface of leaves, along a vein or near the junction of a vein with the midrib. Young larvae hatch and feed on leafs from the middle of May until November, rarely reaching a length of 2 mm by fall. In late August or early September, immature larvae begin to leave their cases and migrate to buds and construct their winter cocoons. There is one generation per year.

When to Control

Treatment of leaf casebearer is usually not necessary in orchards where an insect control program was followed the previous year. Apply an insecticide for leaf casebearer in early spring if 20 percent of the terminals and foliage examined have casebearers or casebearer damage. Controls usually need to be applied only in a pre-pollination spray.