BIO-ECOLOGY OF SOUTH AMERICAN TOMATO LEAF MINER, TUTA ABSOLUTA (MEYRICK) (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIIDAE)
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Date
2016-09-16
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University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot (COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE, GKVK POST, BANGALURU)
Abstract
Investigations on Bio-ecology of South American tomato leaf miner,
Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) was undertaken at Department of Entomology, College of Horticulture, Bengaluru by focussing on field surveys, seasonal incidence, natural enemies, collateral hosts and laboratory biology.
Surveys carried in four districts of Southern Karnataka viz., Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapura, Kolar and Mysuru from July 2015 to April 2016 revealed that
T. absoluta infestation ranged from 10.41 per cent (Yelawala) to 17.45 per cent on leaf (Chikkaballapura), and 4.74 per cent (Yelawala) to 8.76 per cent fruit damage (Shidlaghatta). With respect to seasonal pattern, infestation was low during November 2015 and maximum during February 2016. Incidence was positively influenced by maximum temperature and negatively influenced by relative humidity, wind speed and rainfall. Lowest infestation was recorded on crops with less than 30 days old. Polythene mulch (black with silver colour) has reduced the damage by T. absoluta. Brinjal, capsicum and Solanum viarum were recorded as new collateral host records in India. Two natural enemies, parasitoid, Bracon sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and predator, Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) were recorded as potential natural enemies.
Adult moths were active during dawn and dusk and mated four to six times in their life time. Female preferred apical portion of plant for oviposition with a mean fecundity of 153-163 eggs. Total larval period was 9.49 days and pupal period was 6.15 days during November 2015 to March 2016. Total life cycle of T. absoluta recorded was 32.4 days on tomato under ambient laboratory conditions.