1 - Phytosanitary Resources

Pest Information
A recent report from France (FREDON-Corse, 2009b) contains photographs of
Tuta absoluta damage to potato tubers. Viggiani et al. (2009) reported that in
Italy the tomato leafminer causes direct and indirect damage to the production
of tomato, potato, eggplant, and pepper, although it does not specify if the
damage includes damage to fruit.
Life Cycle
Tuta absoluta is a holometabolous insect with a high rate of reproduction. It
may be able to complete 12 generations per year depending on environmental
conditions (EPPO, 2005). In the laboratory (at a constant temperature of 25°C
and 75 percent R.H.), Tuta absoluta completes a generation in 28.7 days
(Vargas, 1970). Given the field conditions in the Arica Valley in Chile, Tuta
absoluta could complete seven to eight generations per year at that location
(Vargas, 1970). Since this pest can infest hosts grown in protected situations
(such as greenhouses) its rapid reproductive rate should be kept in mind. The
species can overwinter in the egg, pupal, or adult stage (EPPO, 2005). No
information is available on whether this species is capable of diapause.
Adults
The sex ratio in field-collected populations in Venezuela was 1 male to 1.33
females (Fernandez and Montagne, 1990a). Adult males live longer than
females. In the laboratory, mated males lived 26.47±7.89 days while virgin
males lived 36.17±6.55 days. Mated females lived 23.24±5.89 days while
virgin females lived 27.81±10.78 days (Fernandez and Montagne, 1990a).
Both genders mate multiple times. The first mating usually occurs the day after
adults emerge. Mating occurs at dawn (Vargas, 1970). Studies in Chile
revealed that the greatest number of males were captured in pheromone traps
during the period 7 to 11 a.m., suggesting that this is the time when males are
searching for calling females (Miranda-Ibarra, 1999).
The average preoviposition period for females was 2.4±0.61 days (Fernandez
and Montagne, 1990a). Female fecundity can range between 60 to 120 eggs
(Torres et al., 2001) but each female can lay up to 260 eggs in a lifetime
(CABI, 2011). Oviposition studies in laboratories showed that females can lay
eggs for more than 20 days; however, 72.3 percent of the eggs were deposited
during the first 5 days and 90 percent in the first 10 days (Fernandez and
Montagne, 1990a).
6/2011 Tomato Leafminer 2-9
Emergency and Domestic Programs