potato moth

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of potato moth¹

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 Project Gutenberg