Journal of Pest Science (2015) 88, 533-541

Veerle Van Damme, Nick Berkvens, Rob Moerkens, Els Berckmoes, Lieve Wittemans, Raf De Vis, Hans Casteels, Luc Tirry and Patrick De Clercq (2015)
Overwintering potential of the invasive leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) as a pest in greenhouse tomato production in Western Europe
Journal of Pest Science 88 (3), 533-541
Abstract: The South American tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a devastating pest in tomato crops. After having spread rapidly in the Mediterranean area since its first detection in 2006, it has recently become established in greenhouses in Western Europe. It was assumed that the low temperatures commonly associated with the winters in this area would prevent this exotic species from successful overwintering. However, the observed presence of T. absoluta at the start of the growing season in Belgium sparked a study on its potential to overwinter in Western Europe. In this study, the insect's cold hardiness and overwintering potential was assessed by determining: (1) the supercooling point (SCP) of larvae, pupae, and adults, (2) the lower lethal time (LT) for these stages at 0 and 5 °C, and (3) the reproductive diapause incidence, as indicated by the reproductive performance of females reared at two temperatures (18 and 25 °C) and two photoperiods [16:8 and 8:16 (L:D) h]. The mean SCP recorded for pupae (-16.7 °C) was significantly higher than for adults (-17.8 °C) and larvae (-18.2 °C). Based on estimates of the LT adults demonstrated better cold hardiness than larvae and pupae at both 0 and 5 °C with the median LT of adults averaging 17.9 and 27.2 days, respectively. No reproductive diapause was observed under the tested regimes. The results of this study indicate that T. absoluta is likely to successfully overwinter between two successive tomato crops in commercial greenhouses in Western Europe.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Patrick De Clercq, Luc Tirry, Raf M.J. De Vis, Nick Berkvens

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phthorimaea absoluta	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)