Trophic web associated with the South American tomato moth Tuta absoluta: implications for its conservation biological control in Argentina

SALAS GERVASSIO N.G; LUNA M.G; LEE S.; SALVO A. ; SÁNCHEZ N.E

AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016 vol. 18 p. 137 - 144

1461-9555

The tomato moth Tuta absoluta is a major pest targeted for biological control byentomophagous insects. Trophic interactions among parasitoids of T. absoluta andother gelechiids feeding on crop and spontaneous wild solanaceous were investigatedin north-eastern Buenos Aires (Argentina), with the aim of assisting in the design ofconservation biological control strategies.2 A quantitative parasitoid trophic web was constructed that included five gelechiidleafminers, five solanaceous species and a complex of 18 parasitoid species.3 The relative abundance of T. absoluta was highest in the Solanum melongenacrop, followed by the wild plants Nicotiana glauca, Solanum americanum, Solanumsisymbriifolium and Salpichroa origanifolia. Greater parasitoid species richnessassociated with T. absoluta was found in the wild plants N. glauca and S. americanum.4 Pseudapanteles dignus was the main parasitoid of T. absoluta and co-occurred withthis pest in four plant species.5 Parasitism of T. absoluta by P. dignus was observed throughout the year inS. melongena, reaching values up to 33%, whereas it was sporadic and exhibited lowerparasitism rates in the noncrop S. sisymbriifolium, N. glauca and S. americanum.6 The presence of some wild solanaceous plants should be promoted to maintain theT. absoluta? P. dignus interaction in horticultural farms.