What is the scientific name of tuber moth?
Phthorimaea operculella, also known as the potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is an oligophagous insect that feeds on the plant family Solanaceae and is especially known for being a major pest of potato crops.
Where do potato tuber moths come from?
POTATO TUBER MOTH - TUBERWORM Potato tuber moth (PTM) or tuberworm (PTW) has appeared and spread in the US in the past century. The moth consists of several species. Phthorinaea operculella, the most common, is widely distributed in the world, found in North Africa, and parts of Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.
What is a potato tuberworm?
The potato tuberworm Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), also known as potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm, is an oligophagous pest (an insect feeding on a restricted range of food plants) of crops belonging to the family Solanaceae (mainly potatoes [ Solanum tuberosum L.], tomatoes [ Solanum lycopersicum L.], and tobacco [ Nicotiana tabacum L.]).
Are there potato tuber moths in West Bengal?
Incidence of potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zell.) (Gelechidae: Lepidoptera), at different locations of West Bengal. Journal of Interacademicia. 8 (2), 230-235. APPPC, 1987. Insect pests of economic significance affecting major crops of the countries in Asia and the Pacific region.
What does a potato moth look like?
Both male and female adult moths are about 12 mm across the outspread wings, and have brownish grey forewings with tiny dark scattered markings. A fringe of fine hairs borders the pale-cream hind-wings. The eggs are white and very small.
What does a potato worm turn into?
Potato tuberworm adults are small moths that lay tiny oval eggs of white to yellow hue. Once hatched and full grown, the resulting larvae are caterpillars, which vary in color and feed upon leaves and stems.
What do potato moths eat?
These moths prefer finely ground grains or little pieces because they are small larvae when they are feeding. They could also be found in dried fruit and nuts. Often, dry pet food and birdseed are how they make it into the house.
Which of the following damaging symptoms are caused by potato tuber moth?
Damage. PTM attacks solanaceous crops with potato being favored. Foliar injury is due to the larvae (tuberworm) mining into leaflets, causing them to form transparent blisters, then move into stem tissue causing death. Tubers are marred when larvae reach tubers by two major means.
Can maggots grow in potatoes?
Occasionally, the seed corn maggot is a pest of potatoes. Seed corn maggots over winter as pupae in the soil. The adults emerge in early spring. Adult females lay eggs in the soil, either on decaying organic matter or seed pieces.
How do you control potato tuber moths?
Management:Select healthy tubers.Avoid shallow planting of tubers. ... Install pheromone traps at 15/ha.Collect and destroy all the infested tubers from the field.Do not leave the harvested tubers in the field overnight.Adopt intercropping with chilies, onion or peas.More items...
What kills moths instantly?
Vinegar and sunlight are effective at killing moth eggs, larvae, and adult moths. Store items in plastic containers moths are unable to penetrate; for more substantial items, use a cedar wood chest or a large suitcase with a sachet placed in the crevices. Use sealed plastic bags or containers for smaller items.
Can you eat moths?
Only a few moths, butterflies, and caterpillars (order Lepidoptera) are edible. These include the maguey worm, silk worm, mopane worm, and bamboo worm. Other edible insects include ants, bees, mealworms, and palm grubs.
How long can a moth live without food?
The lifespan of these moths is 1-2 weeks without feeding on any food before it crumbles to its death. The life cycle of adults is not that long without food.
What is the scientific name of potato?
Solanum tuberosumPotato / Scientific name
What is eating my potatoes underground?
Wireworms, flea beetles, potato tuberworm and white grubs are all soil-dwelling pests that feed on potato tubers.
Where do potato worms come from?
Potato tuberworm is known to survive in the soil as pupae. Larval development is interrupted by temperatures below 50°F. Larvae can pupate in the soil, discarded piles of potatoes, dead leaves, on storage walls, or on eyes of stored tubers (Raman 1980). They can also pupate in crevices in walls, floors, and crates.
Can you eat potatoes with wireworm?
What it is: Wireworm damage! Eat or toss: As long as the holes are dry, you should be able to treat this like a regular potato. These worms don't take up residence in the potato. They aren't associated with disease transmission to humans.
What kind of worms are in potatoes?
Wireworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles. Several wireworm species occur in western potato soils, but the most common are the Pacific coast wireworm, the sugarbeet wireworm, and the dryland wireworm. Several species of the genus Conoderus have also been encountered in some production areas.
Where do potato worms come from?
Potato tuberworm is known to survive in the soil as pupae. Larval development is interrupted by temperatures below 50°F. Larvae can pupate in the soil, discarded piles of potatoes, dead leaves, on storage walls, or on eyes of stored tubers (Raman 1980). They can also pupate in crevices in walls, floors, and crates.
What does a wireworm look like?
Appearance: Wireworms are thin, shiny, jointed, yellow to reddish-brown, worm-like larvae resembling mealworms. They range in length from 1/4 to 11/2 inches and are approximately 1/8 inch wide. Different species are distinguished by the ornamentation on the last segment of their bodies.
What is the spiny structure of a P. operculella moth?
The adult P. operculella moth closely resembles some Scrobipalpa spp. but is readily separated by the spiny structure on the dorsal side of the male genitalia, which is visible without dissection.
What nematodes were used in the experiment?
The nematodes Steinernema feltiae , S. bibionis, S. carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis heliothidis were used in an experiment in Russia ( Ivanova et al., 1994 ). Potatoes infested with larvae of P. operculella were sprayed with aqueous suspensions. The first three species resulted in 95.5, 93.4 and 93.1% mortality, respectively. Larvae of all instars, within as well as on the surface of the potatoes, were affected, and infection on larvae of the next generation appeared in 6 days.
Where is P. operculella found?
P. operculella is a cosmopolitan pest, especially in warm temperate and tropical regions where host plants are grown. During recent years the species has been inadvertently introduced into Georgia ( Markosyan, 1992) and the Ukraine and there is a threat of its spreading to neighbouring states ( Sikura and Shendaraskaya, 1983 ). It has also been newly recorded from the Arabian peninsula ( Povolny, 1986; Kroschel and Koch, 1994) and more widely in East Africa ( Parker and Hunt, 1989 ). It was also observed in Germany (OP Karsholt, Zoologiste Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark, personal communication, 1996).
What insecticides are used to kill P. operculella?
Quinalphos and diflubenzuron reduced damage caused by P. operculella, and the yield was highest in plots treated with quinalphos in India ( Chandramonhan and Nanjan, 1993 ). The efficacy of nine insecticides against P. operculella on potatoes was tested in Maharashtra, India. Treatment with phenthoate, chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion, phoxim, permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin and fenvalerate at fortnightly intervals reduced pest populations. One of these insecticides should be applied on the appearance of pests with two or three repeat applications ( Raj and Trivedi, 1993 ).
Is Neem oil good for potatoes?
Salem (1991) showed that neem seed extract was effective for control of P. operculella on potatoes in a store in Egypt. Storage loss after 6 months in potatoes treated with 100 p.p.m. neem oil was 25% (compared to 10% with carbaryl). Adults from larvae treated with neem oil were deformed.
Is P. operculella a parasite?
Lloyd (1972) showed that in northern Argentina and southern Brazil P. operculella causes little damage and is heavily parasitized. Cultures of some of these parasitoids were mass-reared by the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control (CABI Bioscience) and widely distributed. Three of these parasitoids, Apanteles subandinus, Copidosoma koehleri and Orgilus lepidus, and also B. gelechiae have become established in a number of countries, and in some of them successful biological control has been reported ( Sankara and Girling, 1980 ). In Victoria, Australia, Horne (1990) found that the parasitoids A. subandinus and O. lepidus were the most abundant, but C. koehleri was also recorded from several sites.
Where do potato moths live?
Phthorinaea operculella, the most common, is widely distributed in the world, found in North Africa, and parts of Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. It is the most widely distributed potato insect in the world. It is usually found in warm climates for overwinter survival and considered a subtropical pest. The moth or worm is considered the most serious pest of potato in tropical and subtropical regions. Recently PTM/PTW has been found in traps in northern latitudes. Whether this northern migration is due to global warming, mutation, etc. is not known. Since it is not a good flier, its migration is attributed primarily due to movement of tubers carrying the pest into storage facilities further north.
What is the pest of potato?
The moth or worm is considered the most serious pest of potato in tropical and subtropical regions. Recently PTM/PTW has been found in traps in northern latitudes. Whether this northern migration is due to global warming, mutation, etc. is not known. Since it is not a good flier, its migration is attributed primarily due to movement ...
How to keep potatoes from getting infested?
2. Avoid letting tubers be exposed outside of hill or be shallow, less than two inches covered by soil. Keep potato plants well hilled with tubers adequately covered, deeper planting depth and broader hills.
Do potato tubers need to be left overnight?
6. Do not leave potato tubers in containers in the field overnight; likewise do not dig and leave tubers atop of ground to be picked up the next day and stored. At night the female PTM is most active laying eggs.
What is the name of the moth that eats potatoes?
Phthorimaea operculella is a gelechiid moth belonging to the Gelechiidae family. It is native to America, but has spread all over the world. It affects all types of the Solanaceae plant family, such as tobacco, aubergines, tomatoes, peppers and especially potatoes. Its attacks are very serious because the caterpillar lives inside the potatoes and the damages are revealed when the potatoes are stored in the warehouses.
What is a potato tuber moth?
The adult potato tuber moth is a small moth measuring 7 to 9 mm long. Its wings are a grey colour with black spots and frayed edges. The larva is a whitish-pink colour with a brown head. They pupate inside a light-coloured cocoon. The eggs are oval and white to begin with, but later darken.
Where is Phthorimaea operculellais native to?
Phthorimaea operculellais a gelechiid moth belonging to the Gelechiidaefamily. It is native to America, but has spread all over the world. It affects all types of the Solanaceae plant family, such as tobacco, aubergines, tomatoes, peppers and especially potatoes. Its attacks are very serious because the caterpillar lives inside the potatoes and ...
Why do potatoes rot?
This is because the galleries excavated by the larvae are later invaded by different types of fungi and bacteria that cause the potatoes to rot , subsequently losing them.
Why are potato tuber moths so serious?
Its attacks are very serious because the caterpillar lives inside the potatoes and the damages are revealed when the potatoes are stored in the warehouses. Morphology and biology. The adult potato tuber moth is a small moth measuring 7 to 9 mm long. Its wings are a grey colour with black spots and frayed edges.
Where do caterpillars pupate?
It creates galleries at the base of the buds in potatoes. Inside the potato, the caterpillar excavates superficial galleries at first, and then deeper galleries. At the end of its growth period, it usually abandons the gallery to pupate, although it can also do this inside the potato.
Where are potato moths found?
Tecia solanivora (Povolny), the Guatemalan potato moth, is found in Central America and northern South America and attacks potatoes that are still in the field as well as stored potatoes. The Andean or South American potatotuber moth, Symmetrischema tangolias (Gyen), is a pest of stored potatoes in the Andes.
How long does it take for potato moths to grow?
Generation time can vary from two weeks during summer to seven or eight months if the cycle is interrupted by winter. Winter populations can be active in storage facilities where optimum temperature for survival is maintained. Potato tuber moths can move up to 0.15 miles between crops to infest plants or tubers.
How many eggs do potato tuberworm moths lay?
In four days, the adult female can deposit 60 to 200 eggs singly or in small clusters directly on host plant parts such as the stem, underside of leaves or in the eye cracks and indentations on tubers. Eggs are smooth, oval, and can be pearly white to yellowish (before hatching) in color. The eggs usually hatch after five days.
What is potato tuberworm?
The potato tuberworm Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), also known as potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm, is an oligophagous pest (an insect feeding on a restricted range of food plants) of crops belonging to the family Solanaceae (mainly potatoes [ Solanum tuberosum L.], tomatoes [ Solanum lycopersicum L.], and tobacco [ Nicotiana tabacum L.]). Phthorimaea operculella has been a minor pest of tobacco for more than 100 years; however, in North Carolina, this pest has emerged as a problem in tobacco plantings over the last five years. This pest has been reported in tropical, subtropical, and Mediterranean agro-zones (Westedt et al. 1998, Flanders et al. 1999, Visser 2005, Golizadeh and Esmaeili 2012).
Why are my potato tuber eyes pink?
Larvae depositing their excreta make tubers unfit for consumption. Potato tuber eyes become pink due to deposition of silk and excrement by potato tuberworm infestation.
What do potato larvae eat?
Larvae feed on potato leaves, stems, petioles, and more importantly potato tubers in the field and in storage. The newly hatched larvae create mines on leaves by feeding on leaf tissue while leaving the upper and lower epidermis of the leaf intact. They prefer feeding on young foliage (Trivedi and Rajagopal 1992).
When was potato tuberworm first discovered?
It was first recorded in California in 1856 (Alvarez et al. 2005). However, it was not a major concern for growers in the Pacific Northwest until 2002, when severe potato tuberworm damage was documented in a field near Hermiston, Oregon (Rondon et al. 2007).
Where did potato tuber moths originate?
The potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella, originated in the tropical mountainous regions of South America. Today it has a worldwide distribution and is considered the most damaging potato pest in the developing world.
Where do larvae go in potato plants?
Larvae of APTM enter the potato stem making a small hole in the plant axils (between stem and lateral petioles). From this hole, galleries made by the larvae run downward within the stem.
How much damage does potato tuber cause?
Generally, tuber damage rates at harvest vary between 2 and 15% in the Andean region. When infested potato tubers are stored without application of control methods T. solanivora can destroy, depending on the storage period and temperature, of whole potato stock (Kroschel and Schaub 2013; Niño 2004).
What do GPTM larvae eat?
Inside the tuber, the larva tunnels just under the surface at first, but later penetrates more deeply. GPTM larvae feed exclusively on tubers during potato cultivation and during storage. Damage is caused by larvae that bore galleries into the tubers. After the larvae have left tubers, the exit hole is clearly visible. In potato fields, T. solanivora attack occurs from tuberization until harvest (Kroschel and Schaub 2013; Niño 2004).
How does P. operculella attack potato?
P. operculella attacks potato by mining the leaves and stems and by feeding on the tuber. Mines are the typical symptoms of leaf damage caused by the larvae eating the mesophyll without damaging the upper and lower epidermis. When the foliage dies, the larvae enter the soil through cracks where they may eventually find and feed upon tubers. Larvae enter potato tubers via the eyes and continue to bore or tunnel through the tuber just below the skin.
What is the family of operculella?
P. operculella is an oligophagous pest (i.e., an insect feeding on a restricted range of food plants) of vegetable crops that belong mainly to the family Solanaceae: potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), and tobacco (Nicotana tabacum L.). Also, wild species of the Solanaceae family, including important weeds, e.g., black night shade (Solanum nigrum L.) are hosts.
Is T. solanivora a pest?
However, at national level it is considered a minor pest and its economic impact on these crops is not well reported in the literature (Kroschel and Schaub 2013; Keller 2003). T. solanivora. Complete losses of harvested tubers have been observed occasionally after the invasion of the pest into new areas when farmers were not yet familiar with pest control.
Overview
Phthorimaea operculella, also known as the potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm, is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is an oligophagous insect that feeds on the plant family Solanaceae and is especially known for being a major pest of potato crops. Currently farmers utilize insecticides, parasites, and sprinkler irrigation in order to prevent P. operculella from infesting their croplands.
The potato tuber moth also has a rare oviposition process where the ovipositor contains sensor…
Description
The potato tuber moth has a body length of about 10mm and a wingspan of about 12mm. Adult moths have a narrow, light brown body with grayish-brown wings containing a variety of small dark spots. The moth contains two sets of wings, both having frayed edges. Females are distinguished from males by having a black “X” pattern on their forewings when their wings are closed.
Geographic range
P. operculella can be found worldwide but prefer subtropical, tropical, and mediterranean climates. In the United States, P. operculella have been spotted in at least 25 states, especially along the Atlantic and Pacific coast. The potato tuber moth is also commonly found in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, and Oceania. In total, the moth has been reported in more than 90 countries.
Habitat
The potato tuber moth typically lives in areas near potatoes or within the vicinity of their host plant family, Solanaceae. Temperature is an important factor in the survival rate and development of P. operculella, and so they are typically found in warmer climates, preferring subtropical and tropical habitats.
Food resources
Potato tuber moth larvae are known for feeding on the tubers, roots, and foliage (on which they are leafminers) of potato plants (Solanum tuberosum). However, larvae are only able to locate potato tubers if the tubers are exposed or within 1 cm of the soil surface. There is no evidence that newly hatched larvae would burrow down and locate tubers using the root system. On foliage, the larvae mainly feed on the mesophyll, leaving brown or white spots in the leaves, known as blo…
Parental care
The ovipositor of the P. operculella is approximately 1.5mm in length and 0.3mm in width. On either side of the ovipositor are approximately 30-40 tapering hairs that range from 0.03-0.3mm in length. At the tip of the ovipositor are more smaller hairs that are spaced evenly over the area.
The female potato tuber moth does not require to be on top of or inside a host plant in order to mate and lay eggs. However, full fecundity is only achieved when the moth is in the vicinity of a …
Life history
Adult female P. operculella can lay over 200 eggs over their lifespan, depending on environmental conditions. The eggs are typically oval in shape, smooth, and have a pearly white to yellowish color. The eggs usually take around five days to hatch. The eggs can be laid on the soil next to a preferred host plant, but they are typically laid next to a vein on the leaf, between the bud and the stem, or un…
Enemies
The larval parasite Apanteles subandinus was introduced as a possible strategy to control P. operculella infestations. The parasite kills the moth towards the end of its larvae stage and has been found to be successful in controlling foliar infestations of the potato tuber moth. 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 as well, is a parasite of the moth's larv…