The Pecan and its Culture — David Hume — John Shaqi
The Pecan and its Culture
David Hume · en
The caterpillars may be destroyed by spraying with some one of the
arsenical poisons, or they may be removed by hand and destroyed. Prof.
Gossard recommends the tying of a piece of burlap around the trees.
Beneath this the caterpillars hide during the night and they may then be
destroyed.
[Illustration: PLATE X. A Pecan Catocala. (C. Piatrix.)
Caterpillar, Cocoon, Chrysalis, and Moths about one-half natural size.]
THE FALL WEB-WORM (_Hyphantria cunea_): The caterpillars of this insect
begin work early in spring, shortly after the leaves are full grown.
They work in colonies, and the leaves on which they feed are enclosed in
a web, which is extended as the caterpillars grow or as they require
additional leaves to feed upon. When full grown the caterpillars measure
about one inch in length and are covered with hairs both long and short.
The matured caterpillars leave the webs and crawl down the trees to hunt
for places beneath the bark, under sticks, weeds and trash in which to
pupate. A light, flimsy cocoon, composed of silk and the hairs of the
larva, is made. From this, in due time, a beautiful moth, an inch or an
inch and a quarter across the wings, emerges. The wings are pure white
or white spotted with black or brownish-black. The eggs are laid in
masses of four or five hundred on the leaves. These hatch in about ten
days, and the colonies of young caterpillars begin their work of
destruction. There are two broods in the South each summer; the first
appearing in May and June, the second in August and September. The fall
brood hybernates in the pupa state.
The caterpillars may be destroyed on small trees by removing the webs
and killing the larvæ. On large trees a torch of some sort may be used
to burn the web and the caterpillars within it. They may be also held in
check by applying a spray of Paris green or arsenate of lead at the time
the broods are feeding.