Tomato leafminer [(Tuta absoluta Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)] and its current ecofriendly management strategies: A review

Abstract

Continue climatic changes in the world enhance the emergence of invasive agricultural insect pests. Tuta absoluta is one of the most devastating tomato leafminer and it spreads extensively in almost all parts of the world. It is a serious threat for tomato production and it results in highest damage. T. absoluta has fast growth rate with developmental stages of egg, larvae, pupa, and adult and it adapts to different environmental conditions. A larva is the most destructive one that consumes preferably leaves, stems and fruits of the tomato plant by hiding within mesophyll of the plant tissues. Although different environmentally hazardous pesticides are used against T. absoluta, none of the insecticides give full control due to the resistance development. This problem calls an urgent search for eco-friendly alternatives to control this invasive insect. Recent investigations are focused on different environmental friendly approaches that inclusively termed as IPM strategies. These are cultural practices, biopesticides, and biological using parasitoids, predators, microbial cells, microbial products, RNAi, inheritance sterility development in insect and pest resistant plant cultivar production are considered as promising alternatives to control T. absoluta. Therefore, this review briefly describes the current status of these methods used to design suitable and sustainable management strategies against T. absoluta. Key words: Tomato leafminer, insecticide resistances, biopesticides, biological control.