239 
THE POTATO-TUBER MOTH. 
(Lita solanella Boisd.) 
f Uf y if 
‘Y WY ey TA) 
“CaN 
A 
Fig. 27.—Lita solanella Boisd.: a, section of tuber showing eye and eggs deposited about it—natural 
size; b, egg, dorsal view; c, egg, lateral view—greatly enlarged; d, k, mines of larva in potato; 
j, pupa at end of mine, seen through skin of potato—somewhat reduced; e, larva, dorsal view; 
J, larva, lateral view; g, larva, third abdominal segment, lateral view; h, larva, dorsal view—still 
more enlarged; 7, pupa; /, moth—enlarged. (Original.) 
For many years past potatoes have suffered in New Zealand, Tas- 
mania, and different parts of Australia from the ravages of a small 
moth of the Tineid family Gelechiidz, the larve of which bore into 
stored potatoes and those which are still in the ground. The insect 
has been treated of by a number of Australian authors, but particularly 
by Mr. J.G.O. Tepper in the Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal 
Society of South Australia, vol. Iv, p. 57, and by Mr. Henry Tryon in 
his Report on Insect and Fungus Pests [of Queensland], No.1, 1889, pp. 
175-181. It was first referred to, although without name, by Capt. 
H. Berthon in the Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Van 
Diemens Land, vol. 11 (1855), part 1, p. 76, and was first described by 
Boisduval in 1874, who stated that it was very injurious to potatoes in 
Algeria. He states that the eggs are laid upon the young plants as 
Soon as they put out from the ground and the newly hatched larve bore 
through the tubers, filling their burrows with black excrement and com- 
pletely spoiling them. The identity of the Algerian species and that 
in Australia seems to have been accepted by Tepper, Meyrick, aud other 
competent authorities. The habits of the insect in Australia are well 
and concisely given by Tryon, whose account we quote: 
