underneath the stem. Larvae Potato tuber moth larvae are typically 12-15mm long and are white or yellow with a brown head and prothorax. As the larvae matures, its color changes from white/yellow to pink/green. The thorax contains small black spots as well as bristles on each segment, and the larvae typically feeds on its host plant for up to two weeks before pupation. In order for the larvae to determine if it wants to mine a particular host plant, it first spends 5–15 minutes walking around the leaves, attaching a thread of silk to the surface as it goes. The larvae makes small changes in direction as it walks and occasionally bites the leaf four to five times. Once it selects a location to mine, the larvae proceeds to build a silk roof around the area and then begins to mine downwards, placing the pieces of leaf to the side of the hole. On non-host plants, the larvae makes fewer test bites and silk deposits. On average, the larvae walks faster on a non-host plant compared to a preferred host plant and if it reaches the edge of the leaf will leave the plant all together instead of turning around. Pupae The pupae of P. operculella are narrow in width and typically 0.5 inches in length. They are usually white in color and will take 10–30 days to develop, depending on environmental conditions. Adult Adult potato tuber moths are nocturnal and typically are not active until 1–2 hours after sunset. At first they were thought to be poor fliers until a study by Foley in 1985 showed that they are actually capable of flying for over 5 hours and 10 kilometers non-stop in laboratory conditions. P. operculella commonly live for 1–2 weeks. Mating begins around 24 hours after emergence and most eggs are laid within the first quarter of the female's life. Peak oviposition for females occurs 2–5 days after emergence and declines to much lower levels by day 7. Enemies Parasites The larval parasitoid wasp Apanteles subandinus was introduced as a possible strategy to control P. operculella infestations. The parasite kills the moth towards the end of its larvae stage and has been found to be successful in controlling foliar infestations of the potato tuber moth. In South Africa, the spider Selenops radiatus has proved to be an effective controlling agent for this species. The wasp Diadegma mollipla, which