1 - Phytosanitary Resources

Identification
Figure 3-1 Tuta absoluta Mating Adults (E.Saini, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología
Agricola, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Eggs
Eggs are oval in shape (Figure 3-2 on page 3-3). Newly-laid eggs are creamy
white and turn yellow and then yellow-orange during development (Estay,
2000). When mature, eggs turn dark and the outline of the larval head capsule
can be seen through the chorion; this is called the blackhead stage (Vargas,
1970). Eggs are on average 0.383 mm long by 0.211 wide (Vargas, 1970).
Figure 3-2 Tuta absoluta Eggs (E.Saini, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agricola,
Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Larvae
Head capsule diameter is the best character to differentiate between larval
instars. Larvae complete four instars that are well-defined and are of different
size (Table 3-2 on page 3-4) and color (Estay, 2000), but variation in the
number of instars is well-documented within any species of Lepidoptera.
Larvae are dorso-ventrally flattened and their color changes from creamy
white to deep green during development (Figure 3-3 on page 3-4). The last
6/2011 Tomato Leafminer 3-3
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