Journal of Economic Entomology (2012) 105, 2085-2096

Tomas Cabello, Juan R. Gallego, Francisco J. Fernandez, Manuel Gamez, Enric Vila, Modesto Del Pino and Estrella Hernandez-Suarez (2012)
Biological control strategies for the South American tomato moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in greenhouse tomatoes
Journal of Economic Entomology 105 (6), 2085-2096
Abstract: The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has been introduced into new geographic areas, including the Mediterranean region, where it has become a serious threat to tomato production. Three greenhouse trials conducted in tomato crops during 2009 and 2010 explored control strategies using the egg-parasitoid Trichogramma achaeae Nagaraja and Nagarkatti compared with chemical control. The effectiveness of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) was also tested. In greenhouses with early pest infestations (discrete generations), periodic inundative releases (eight releases at a rate of 50 adults/m², twice a week) were necessary to achieve an adequate parasitism level (85.63 ± 5.70%) early in the growing season. However, only one inoculative release (100 adults/m²) was sufficient to achieve a comparatively high parasitism level (91.03 ± 12.58%) under conditions of high pest incidence and overlapping generations. Some intraguild competition was observed between T. achaeae and the predator, N. tenuis. This mirid species is commonly used in Mediterranean greenhouse tomato crops for the control of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Tomato cultivars were also observed to influence the activity of natural enemies, mainly N. tenuis (whose average numbers ranged between 0.17 ± 0.03 and 0.41 ± 0.05 nymphs per leaf depending on the cultivar). This may be because of differences in plant nutrients in different cultivars, which may affect the feeding of omnivorous insects. In contrast, cultivar effects on T. achaeae were less apparent or possibly nonexistent. Nevertheless, there was an indirect effect in as much as T. achaeae was favored in cultivars not liked by N. tenuis.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Tomas Cabello

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
control - general
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
evaluation - screening - selection
application technology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phthorimaea absoluta	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Spain (continental)
Nesidiocoris tenuis (predator)	Phthorimaea absoluta	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Spain (continental)
Trichogramma achaeae (parasitoid)	Phthorimaea absoluta	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)	Spain (continental)