Dataset for: Distribution of three species of potato moths in Ecuador

A field study was carried out in the main potato-producing provinces of Ecuador to: (1) examine the distribution of three different species of potato tuber moths (PTM), Tecia solanivora (Ts), Symmetrischema tangolias (St) and Phthorimaea operculella (Po), in potato farm fields and adjacent storage units, and (2) update the Insect Life Cycle Modeling (ILCYM) software to further develop integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for the future.

Field tests were carried out in the province of Chimborazo, Tungurahua, Cotopaxi and Bolivar in 2018, and in Cotopaxi and Imbabura in 2019. PTM traps were placed in different field sites selected per province that contained pheromones specific for each of the three PTM species. The traps were evaluated and cleaned over a period of about 6 to 8 months in 15-day intervals and data collected regarding the number of PTM adults trapped per device (data separated in sheets according to location with denomination “_moth_evaluation” per province).