Potato Tuber Moth
(Phthorimaea operculella)
POTATO TUBER MOTH
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Gelechiidae
Distribution: Cosmopolitan-tropical and
subtropical
Host: Potato, tomato, eggplant, tamarillo leaves
(tree tomato)
DESCRIPTION
•Narrow silver-grey body with
Greyish brown wings marked by small, dark
specks
•Body length: 10 mm
Wings are fringed
DAMAGE
• Leaves and tubers
Damage symptoms on leaves
Damage symptoms on tubers
Life-cycle
Eggs: laid singly on underside
of leaves and exposed tubers
150-200 eggs
laid
Eggs are small,
spherical, translucent,
and range in color from
white or yellowish to light
brown.
Life-cycle
Larva: Larva 1-2 mm long and grows
through 4 instars to reach 15-20 mm
long.
All larvae have dark brown head.
Larva first mine into leaves and later
into stem. Larval period lasts 2-3
weeks in summer.
Larvae also excavate tunnels in the
tubers
Life-cycle
Pupa: Pupa are formed in a silken
cocoon covered with soil particles and
debris for camouflage.
Pupation occurs on dead leaves or on
stored potatoes.
Moth appears in 7-10 days
Life-cycle is completed in about one
month. As many as 5-6 generations
occur in a year.
The moth mainly hibernates in the
form of pupae and emerges with the
onset of warm dry conditions.
Management
• Use clean seed
• Destroy tuber moth infested tubers, plant
debris and volunteer plants
• Do not expose the tubers (earthing up)
• Sort out the tubers before storage.