potato tuber moth ( phthorimaea operculella )
DESCRIPTION
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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Potato Tuber Moth (Phthorimaea operculella)
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POTATO TUBER MOTH
Order: LepidopteraFamily: GelechiidaeDistribution: Cosmopolitan-tropical and
subtropicalHost: Potato, tomato, eggplant, tamarillo leaves
(tree tomato)
![Page 3: Potato Tuber Moth ( Phthorimaea operculella )](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022012307/56816390550346895dd4840e/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
DESCRIPTION•Narrow silver-grey body withGreyish brown wings marked by small, dark specks•Body length: 10 mm
Wings are fringed
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DAMAGE
• Leaves and tubers
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Damage symptoms on leaves
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Damage symptoms on tubers
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Life-cycle
Eggs: laid singly on underside of leaves and exposed tubers
Eggs are small,spherical, translucent,and range in color fromwhite or yellowish to lightbrown.
150-200 eggs laid
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Life-cycleLarva: 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
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Life-cyclePupa: 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.
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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.