The pecan nut casebearer is one of the most important nut infesting insect pests of pecan. It is found in almost all the pecan growing areas from the east coast to southeast New Mexico. Casebearer larvae tunnel into nutlets shortly after pollination, often destroying all of the nutlets in a cluster. However, insecticides should only be applied if infestations and nut load justify treatment. A ridge of dark scales followed by a band of lighter color runs across the forewings.
Moths are active only at night when they mate and lay eggs on pecan nuts.
Eggs are greenish white or white when first laid. Tiny red spots soon appear on the egg giving it a pink color prior to hatch. Biology First generation casebearer eggs are typically deposited on pecan nutlets soon after pollination. Eggs hatch in 4-5 days and young larvae crawl to nearby buds to begin feeding. The empty egg shell is white and remains on the nut.