Pecan Weevil Larva

Pecan Weevil Adult

The pecan weevil is a late season nut pest that feeds only on pecans and hickory. The female drills a hole in the nut with her snout and places one to four fertilized eggs within the kernel. The pecan weevil larvae are creamy, white legless grubs with soft fleshy bodies. Heavy populations of weevils can destroy all nuts on a tree.

“The pecan weevil is a major pest of pecans throughout the southeastern United States, as well as portions of Texas and Oklahoma. … Adults emerge from soil in late July-August to feed on and oviposit in developing nuts. Larval development is completed within the ripening kernel of the nut.”

“Current control recommendations for pecan weevil consist mainly of aboveground applications of chemical insecticides (e.g., carbaryl) to suppress adults. Application of chemical insecticides is recommended every 7-10 days during peak weevil emergence (generally up to at least a 6 week period).”

Authors: D.I. Shapiro-Ilan1, W.A. Gardner2, T.E. Cottrell1, R. W. Behle3 and B.W. Wood1

Affiliation:
1USDA-ARS, Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratoy, Byron, GA; 2Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA; 3USDA-ARS-NCAUR, Peoria, IL
Title: Comparison of application methods for suppressing the pecan weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) with Beauveria bassiana under field conditions.
Publication: Environmental Entomology. 2008. 37(1):162-171.