Phthorimaea operculella

Potato tuber moth
Dorsal view
Ventral view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Gelechiidae
Subfamily:	Gelechiinae
Tribe:	Gnorimoschemini
Genus:	Phthorimaea
Species:	P. operculella
Binomial name
Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873)
Synonyms
Gelechia terrella Walker, 1864 Gelechia operculella Zeller, 1873 Gnorimoschema operculella Gelechia sedata Butler, 1880 Parasia sedata Bryotropha solanella Boisduval, 1874 Gelechia tabacella Ragonot, 1879 Gelechia piscipellis Howard, 1897 Phthorimaea argentinae Povolný, 1989

Phthorimaea operculella, also known as the potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm, is a major pest on potatoes in New Zealand and South Africa. It has a world-wide distribution.

Cocoon

Larva

The body length is about 10mm and the wingspan is about 12mm. The larva is called potato tuberworm.

In South Africa, the spider Selenops radiatus has proved to be an effective controlling agent for this species. The wasp Diadegma mollipla, which exists in South Africa, is a parasite of the moth's larvae.^[1]

The potato tuberworm is becoming a pest in North Carolina. It seems to be interchangeable in the Solanaceae family. In tobacco, the larvae are leaf miners and can cause severe damage to leaves, making them weigh less.

An older synonym is Bryotropha solanella, where solanella indicates its host, the potato (Solanum tuberosum).

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References