Gretchena bolliana
Encyclopedia
The Pecan Bud Moth or Gray-flanked Gretchena Moth (Gretchena bolliana) is a moth
of the Tortricidae
family. It is found from South Carolina
to Florida
and west to Texas
, Arizona
and New Mexico
.
The wingspan
is about 17 mm. Adults are grey with blackish-brown patches on the forewings. There are probably five or six generations per year.
The larvae feed on the foliage of Carya illinoinensis. They also feed on young nuts in the spring and infest the shucks in the fall. The most serious damage occurs on pecan nursery stock, where the larvae feed on the terminal buds and unfolding foliage. The species overwinters as an adult. Pupation takes place in rolled-up leaves or infested buds and sometimes under bark scales. The larvae are about 12 mm long, creamy to dirty white when young and yellowish-green with dark brown heads and necks when mature.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Tortricidae
Tortricidae
Tortricidae is a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths, in the order Lepidoptera. Tortricidae is a large family with over 9,400 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea. Many of these are economically important pests. Olethreutidae is a junior synonym...
family. It is found from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and west to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 17 mm. Adults are grey with blackish-brown patches on the forewings. There are probably five or six generations per year.
The larvae feed on the foliage of Carya illinoinensis. They also feed on young nuts in the spring and infest the shucks in the fall. The most serious damage occurs on pecan nursery stock, where the larvae feed on the terminal buds and unfolding foliage. The species overwinters as an adult. Pupation takes place in rolled-up leaves or infested buds and sometimes under bark scales. The larvae are about 12 mm long, creamy to dirty white when young and yellowish-green with dark brown heads and necks when mature.