New Tomato Pest to Worry About

[barkeater]

Tuta absoluta

Reported in Albania, Greece, Malta, Portugal, and
Switzerland:

Since OPIS first reported in 2006 of a first detection in Spain
(Europe) of the tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta ) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae),
this pest has been spreading rapidly through Southern Europe (France, Italy,Netherlands, and the United Kingdom) and North Africa (Algeria Morocco,and Tunisia). More recent country reports of detections of Tuta absolutainclude: Albania, Greece, Malta, Switzerland, and Portugal.

[geeboss]

http://www.tutaabsoluta.com/

[bizzarbazzar]

Yikes, those make some ugly damage too.

[Medbury Gardens]

hope it doesn't make this far

[rhynes_boomer]

Hi Everyone,

I have had some big FAT green worms that look simular to that. I also, used them for fish bait, NO KIDDING! They are full of green gunk and the catfish loved'em.

What can be put on the plants to keep them from chewing them up?

Kat

[Tom Wagner]

Tomato varieties with curled leaves, such as VF145s, are less susceptible to leafminer damage and may provide suitable alternatives where leafminer damage is expected,

Scientific names: Liriomyza sativae, L. trifolii, and L. huidobrensis

The problem is....the leafminers mentioned are of these three...not Tuta absoluta. But I wonder if that would not still work against the Tuta type. Most of our newer varieties are not the curled leaf types anymore.

Possible control...

Spraying preparations of the bacterium Bacillus thur-
ingiensis, which kills the larvae of the tomato leaf
miner

Possible resistance;

Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum (PI 134417, insect resistant) Tuta absoluta

Conclusion....

No known comercial variety available with resistance.