Forewings are deep brownish-black, tinged with purple.
Larvae are 7 to 10 mm long, creamy to dirty white with brown heads. Before shell hardening, larvae tunnel into nuts, causing them to drop. Entrance holes can often be detected by a white stain around the hole. After pecan shells harden, larvae tunnel in the shucks and prevent kernels from developing properly. Heavily infested nuts are likely to be poorly filled and mature later than pest-free nuts.