potato moth

American  

noun

1. a gelechiid moth, Phthorimaea operculella, the larvae of which feed on the leaves and bore into the tubers of potatoes and other solanaceous plants.

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Etymology

Origin of potato moth

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

The main point is to keep the tubers as cool as possible and out of reach of the potato moth.

From One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered by Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)