Phthorimaea operculella n 1: larva of potato moth; mines in leaves and stems of e.g. potatoes and tobacco [syn: {potato tuberworm}, {Phthorimaea operculella}] 2: greyish-brown moth whose larva is the potato tuberworm [syn: {potato moth}, {potato tuber moth}, {splitworm}, {Phthorimaea operculella}]