THE POTATO TUBER MOTH. 9 



CLASSIFICATION AND SYNONYMY. 



The tuber moth belongs to that very large and cosmopolitan family 

 of Microlepidoptera, the Gelechiidae. The genus Phthorimaea was 

 founded by Meyrick in 1902 (43), the tuber moth being made the 



type. 



There seems to be not a httle difference in the synonymy given 

 this insect by various authors, so the following list has been selected 

 from the Hterature cited in the bibliography: 



PJithorirnaea operculella (Zell. ) Meyr. , 1902 (43) 



Gelechia terrella Walk. , 1864 ' (2) 



Gelechia operculella Zell., 1873 (5) 



Bryotropha solanella Bdv. , 1874 (6) 



Lita solanella Meyr . , 1879 (9) , (11) 



Gelechia tabacella Rag. , 1879 (10) 



Lita tabacella Rag. , 1 885 (15) 



Gelechia solanella Meyr., 1886 ~ (16) 



The foregoing synonymy does not take into consideration the Gele- 

 chia similieJla (3) and the G. solaniella (4) of V. T. Chambers, which 

 were described in 1872 and 1873, respectively. G. similiella was de- 

 scribed first and the name subsequently changed to solaniella when 

 the larva of this form was found mining in Solanum carolinense. 

 Later, in 1878 (8), Chambers adds to his description of G. solaniella. 

 Specimens were collected in Kentucky and Texas. It appears from 

 the hfe notes he adds that the insect in question might be PMJiori- 

 maea operculella, but there seem to be no types in existence to sub- 

 stantiate this. 



DESCRIPTION. 



THE EGG. 



The egg when freshly laid is opaque, pearly white in color, and 

 with a faint iridescence. As the egg becomes older it becomes yel- 

 lowish and the iridescence becomes more pronounced, so that at the 

 time of hatching it is nearly lemon-yellow with the iridescence 

 strongly marked. As hatching time approaches the thin shell 

 "sometimes becomes more or less distorted, and the outlines of the 

 embryo within can bo distinguished. Due to the habit of the moth 

 of ovipo.sitiiig on rough surfaces, the eggs arc otten distorted and the 

 shape varies greatly. Two masses of eggs on the surface of a potato 

 are shown in figun; 6. 



The egg is ellipto-cylindricul in shape, the l)luntly rounded ends 

 closely resembling each other. An average of several measurements 

 gave a length of 0.48 mm. and a width of 0.36 mm. 



' Ol'Ifist imirii', t)iil ii lio:iii)iiyiii. 



55889°— Bull. 4^7—17 2 



