The tater insect , also known as the white potato tuber worm , potato tuber moth or tobacco splitworm , feed on potatoes , tomato , peppers , garden egg and baccy . pornographic moth feed on nectar , but the larvae eat leaves and tubers . A serious infestation can induce the complete loss of a store potato craw . It is constitute in most states and USDA Zones where potato aregrown .
Potato Worm Species
Although there are three different types of potato worms , the one most commonly found in the U.S. isPhthorimaea operculella . Tecia solanivora , the Guatemalan potato moth , is common in Central America and the northerly countries of South America . Symmetrischema tangolia , the Andean or South American potato moth , attacks stash away white potato vine in the Andes .
History of the Potato Worm
Potato worm have been a venial pest in tobacco plant planting for over 100 years . More recently , the insect has become a major pest in North Carolina . The pest has been set up in tropic , subtropical and Mediterranean climates . Although found in California in 1856 , it did not become a major concern for growers in the Pacific Northwest until 2002 . Potato tuber insect has been reported in 25 state and over 90 countries .
Recognizing Potato Tuber Moths
Adult moths have narrow bodies , just under ½ inch long , with a wing twosome about the same . The dirt ball are grayish browned with yellowish browned forewings . fender are fringed and have refine sullen chocolate-brown markings . Males have two or three disconsolate floater on the fore wing , while females have an “ X ” pattern in the middle of the back . Both are quick fliers . They endure for one to two weeks .
Potato Worm Appearance
The larvae of potato tuber moths are typically white or yellowish with a brownish head . The midsection of the torso is also brown . They have black point and bristle on each section . As the larvae mature , they change colors , going from white or xanthous to pink or unripened . About ½ inch long , they feed for two weeks before spinning a cocoon and pupating .
Timing Issues with Potato Worms
It ’s significant to know when these insects emerge and the length of the various life cycles . For example :
Survival of the Pest
adult are typically determine from April through October in the US . Potato worm eggs , larvae and pupae can survive promptly in tater debris , volunteer potatoes or in the soil where white potato have been gown . They may be found in potato cull piles , stack away potatoes , dead leaves or fissure of computer storage areas , as well as storage container such as crates and box . temperature below 50 ° F ( 10 ° ascorbic acid ) will interrupt larval ontogenesis , however .
Damage to Plants
The adult moths bung on the folio of the plant . Larvae , however , fertilize on foliage and well as Tuber and cause the most damage . In add-on to eating , the larvae tailspin silk in the caries they create and down payment excrement there as well . A single larva can make the spud unfit to eat . Larvae can destroy an entire crop of stored potatoes if the infestation is life-threatening ; the tuber will waste and have an unpleasant smell .
Controlling Potato Tuber Worm
alas , synthetic pesticide resistance is a problem in potato tuber worms , and none of the available organic insecticides are effectual , although pyrethrum may be used on seed white potato . Two wasps , Copidosoma koehleriandBracon gelechiae Ashmead , are recognise to be predators of the larvae but are not usually readily usable . Pheromones can be place in containers of water to attract the moths , which then drown .
Field and Crop Management
Always utilize certified disease - freeseedpotatoes . implant them at least two inchesdeep – three or four is better – and hill them at least twice during the grow period . Irrigate to keep soil moist ; this prevents pass through which larvae can reach the tuber . Rogue out unpaid worker solanums such as eggplants and tomato plant . Harvest the crop as soon as possible after maturity and remove harvested Tuber from the garden to cure .
Basic Sanitation
As with any insect pest , good garden sanitization practices make a difference . Keep weeds down and get rid of garden debris , sometime mulch and dead vines promptly . Destroy piles of cull tater . Screen the memory board surface area to keep out moth . Use new or well - sanitized potato sacks , crates or other container for repositing . At the end of each storage flow , soundly clean the storage region .
