TUTA ABSOLUTA new dangerous tomato
pest
CLASSIFICATION
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Order – Lepidoptera
Suborder – Ditrisia
Superfamily – Gelechoidea
Famiy – Gelechiidae
Genus – Tuta
Species – T. absoluta
1917 Meyrick
APPEARANCE
BIOLOGY OF TUTA ABSOLUTA
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In glass houses 8-12 generations
Total life cycle can be completed in 30-35 days
Adult females can lay up to 260 eggs
Can overwinter as eggs, pupae or adult
DAMAGE
DISTRIBUTION IN EUROPE
• First detection in Spain 2006
• 2008-2009 reported from Italy, France, Malta, United
Kingdom, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Marocco,
Algeria, Tunisia, Libia, Albania
• 2010 reported from Cyprus, Iraq, Saudi Arabia
CONTROL OF POPULATION
• Chemical control ?
• Biological control ?
• Best results with IPM