Several species of catocalas, Figure 21, among them _Catocala maestosa_
Hlst., may strip the leaves of pecans in the spring leaving only the
midribs. The caterpillars are very dark gray and attain a length of
about 3 inches when full grown. They are very active when disturbed and
move with a looping motion. Both the caterpillars and the moths are well
camouflaged. When they rest on the trees during the day, their color so
harmonizes with the color of the bark that they are frequently
indistinguishable.
_Control._—One application of 2 pounds of 50 percent DDT wettable powder
per 100 gallons of water controls this pest. Although the majority of
catocala larvae reach maturity before the time to spray for the nut
casebearer, a number of them will be killed when the recommended spray
is applied for the latter insect.