Ecology, Worldwide Spread, and Management of the Invasive South American Tomato Pinworm, Tuta absoluta: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), is native to the western Neotropics. After invading Spain in 2006, it spread rapidly throughout Afro-Eurasia and has become a major threat to world tomato production. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies have been developed, but widespread insecticide use has caused selection for insecticide resistance as well as undesirable effects on key beneficial arthropods. Augmentation and conservation biological control relying on omnivorous mirid predators has proved successful for management of T. absoluta, where implementation is dependent on abiotic, biotic (e.g., alternative prey), and anthropogenic factors (e.g., pesticides). Research has been carried out on larval parasitoids, showing potential for further development of sustainable control. The development of resistant tomato varieties is ongoing, but they are not commercially available yet. Knowledge gaps remain to be filled to optimize IPM packages on tomato crops and to help prevent further spread worldwide.

Wolbachiastrains, and lack of genetic diversity and parthenogenesis in Brazilian populations ofTuta absoluta(Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

“…Thus, the past and localized concern emerged as a worldwide threat to tomato cultivation in which only two of the main producers, China and the USA, remain free from the tomato pinworm. This species is already present in China’s neighbouring countries, and it is edging towards Mexico in North America (Campos et al., ; Biondi et al., ). The tomato pinworm is difficult to control particularly in open‐field cultivation requiring intensive use of insecticides and exhibiting increasing problems of insecticide resistance (Biondi et al., ; Desneux et al., ; Gontijo et al, ; Guedes, ; Guedes & Picanço, ; Guedes & Siqueira, ).…”

“…This species is already present in China’s neighbouring countries, and it is edging towards Mexico in North America (Campos et al., ; Biondi et al., ). The tomato pinworm is difficult to control particularly in open‐field cultivation requiring intensive use of insecticides and exhibiting increasing problems of insecticide resistance (Biondi et al., ; Desneux et al., ; Gontijo et al, ; Guedes, ; Guedes & Picanço, ; Guedes & Siqueira, ). Among the management tactics used against the tomato pinworm, pheromone‐trapping and mating disruption have been the target of attention since the late 1990s after the identification and test of the species’ pheromone blend (Ferrara et al., ; Michereff Filho et al., ).…”

Larvicidal activities of limonoids from Turraea abyssinica (Meliaceae) on Tuta absoluta (Meyrick)

“…Invasive insect pests are recognized today as major threats to agroecosystems and agricultural production (Haack, Hérard, Sun, & Turgeon, ; Ragsdale, Landis, Brodeur, Heimpel, & Desneux, ). The tomato borer, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of those pests (Biondi, Guedes, Wan, & Desneux, ; Campos, Biondi, Adiga, Guedes, & Desneux, ). The moth was first known as a plant pest in many South American countries.…”

“…The moth was first known as a plant pest in many South American countries. Now, it has spread rapidly throughout Afro‐Eurasia and Middle Eastern countries (Biondi et al., ; Desneux et al., ; Seplyarsky, Weiss, & Haberman, ; Sylla et al., ; Xian, ) and is considered as a global economic pest on tomato and other Solonaceae plants (Desneux, Luna, Guillemaud, & Urbaneja, ). T. absoluta larvae can affect all aerial parts of tomato plant (leaves, flowers, stems and fruits) and cause yield losses of up to 80%–100% (Desneux et al., ; Moreira et al., ).…”

“…However, these pesticides have exhibited low‐to‐moderate efficiency due to high biotic potential and cryptic nature of the larvae of T. absoluta (Lietti, Botto, & Alzogaray, ). This has considerably increased the spraying frequency per crop cycle, which has accelerated the evolution of resistance in the pest (Biondi et al., ; Roditakis et al., ). Furthermore, increasing and indiscriminate applications of the synthetic pesticides have other drawbacks, including soil and ground water contamination, mammals’ health, disruption of natural biological control and effects on non‐target organisms (Biondi, Zappala, Stark, & Desneux, ; Desneux, Decourtye, & Delpuech, ).…”