Phthorimaea operculella, Crete - photo © K. Bormpoudaki

Phthorimaea operculella, Crete - photo © K. Bormpoudaki

Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873)

MOTH INFO

Phthorimaea operculella is a moth of the family Gelechiidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873)

Gelechia operculella (Zeller, 1873)

Gelechia terrella (Walker, 1864)

Bryotropha solanella (Boisduval, 1874)

Gelechia tabacella (Ragonot, 1879)

Gelechia sedata (Butler, 1880)

Gelechia piscipellis Howard, 1897)

Phthorimaea argentinae (Povolný, 1989)

Common name

Potato Tuber Moth, Tobacco Splitworm

Classification

Superfamily: Gelechioidea > Family: Gelechiidae > Subfamily: Gelechiinae > Tribus: Gnorimoschemini > Genus: Phthorimaea

Wingspan

12-19 mm

Habitat

Warm areas with crops and fields where the larval food plants exist.

Food plant

The larva is oligophagous on Solanaceae (Hyoscyamus albus, Lycium europaeum, Lycopersicon, Nicotiana glauca, Nicotiana tabacum (Καπνά), Solanum tuberosum (Πατάτα)) and feeds on the tubers, roots, and foliage.

It is especially known for being a major pest of potato crops.

Flight Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Links

Lepiforum e. V.

Plant Parasites of Europe

Lepidoptera Mundi

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