Natural enemies of Tuta absoluta in the Mediterranean basin, Europe and South America

BUENO V.H.P; LUNA M.G; SISCARO G; TAVELLA L.; DINDO M.L; SALAS GERVASSIO N.G ; VAN LENTEREN J.C; DINDO M.L; SALAS GERVASSIO N.G ; VAN LENTEREN J.C; FERRACINI C.; INGEGNO B.L ; SÁNCHEZ N.E; ZAPPALÀ L.; FERRACINI C.; INGEGNO B.L ; SÁNCHEZ N.E; ZAPPALÀ L.; BUENO V.H.P; LUNA M.G; SISCARO G; TAVELLA L.

BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2019 vol. 29 p. 578 - 609

0958-3157

The tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae) represents a global threat to commercial tomato(Solanum lycopersicum L.) production, both in open field andgreenhouse. Native to South America, it spread over theMediterranean Basin, Europe, Africa and part of Asia in only 12years, and currently it is reported in over 80 countries. Biologicalcontrol is one of the options for its control and a large number ofnatural enemies has been reported in association with the pest,both in the areas of origin and of introduction. The egg parasitoidTrichogramma pretiosum, in South America, and the miridpredators Macrolophus pygmaeus and Nesidiocoris tenuis, in Europeand the Mediterranean basin, are used as commercial biocontrolagents. Even if several natural enemies might be promisingcandidates for biocontrol, their potential role in quantitative pestreduction has been seldom established under practical tomatoproduction conditions.Since climatic suitability indices predict a high probability forcontinued invasion by T. absoluta, mainly in China and the USA,there is an urgent need for new control options. In order tominimise the use of broad spectrum insecticides, biocontroltechniques should be considered. As tomato is producedseasonally, augmentative biocontrol seems to be the mosteffective control option, but pest reduction might be optimised byadding conservation biocontrol, and by combining biocontrol within IPM programmes.