Perspec(ve
Results
Materials and methods
Suitability of Tuta absoluta to develop
on potato (Solanum tuberosum)
To study the suitability of T. absoluta to develop on different varie(es of potatoes, we realized fitness experimenta(ons. Fitness of T. absoluta was recorded as suggest by Hassan and Ansari (2011) and by Saeed et al. (2010). The development of 100 eggs of T. absoluta was followed on potato (variety Spunta) and on tomato (control). The dura(on of the total larval development period, pupal period, total developmental period (first instar to adult emergence), adult longevity and adult fecundity were recorded.
Tomato Potato
Total developmental period 28 days 25 days
Egg mortality 19 % 11 %
Larval mortality 16 % 24 %
Pupal mortality 25 % 18 %
Total mortality 49 % 44 %
Female average pupal weight 3,01 mg 3,35 mg
Average adult fecundity 51 eggs 40 eggs
At 24 °C, the total developmental period is shorter on potato (25 days) than on the tomato control (28 days). The percentage of mortality is more important on tomato control than on potato while tomato is the basic host plant of T. absoluta. We no(ce a high egg mortality on tomato and in due to exclude all
experimental errors, the fitness experimenta(on on tomato will be repeat rapidly. The average pupal weight of the females is similar between insects which developed on the two plants while the average adult fecundity is more important on tomato control than on potato. Even if potato is considered as a secondary host, T.
absoluta shows a great suitability on potato because it has a short
development (me, a high reproduc(ve rate with low mortality on this plant.
HASAN F. & ANSARI M. S. 2011. Effects of different brassicaceous host plants on the fitness of Pieris brassicae (L.). Crop Protec6on, 30, 854-‐862.
SAEED R., SAYYED A. H., SHAD S. A. & ZAKA S. M. 2010. Effect of different host plants on the fitness of diamond-‐back moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Crop Protec6on, 29, 178-‐182.
R. Caparros ; A. Borensztein ; E. Haubruge
and F. J. Verheggen
Department of Func(onal and Evolu(onary Entomology. University of Liege –
Gembloux Agro Biotech – Passage des déportés 2, B-‐5030, Gembloux (Belgium).
Contact : entomologie.gembloux@ulg.ac.be
Introduc(on
The tomato miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) has been observed for the first (me in 2006, in Spain. In 2008, this insect pest invaded all Mediterranean countries including Maghreb, France and possibly Belgium.
We are actually looking at the ability of Tuta absoluta to develop on potato, and selec(ng the most resistant varie(es to be incorporated in integrated pest management strategies against this invasive pest species.
In the future, we shall test different varie(es of potatoes in order to find varie(es which will be more resistant to the pest than the others. We want to link the results of fitness experimenta(ons to the vola(les organic compounds emiked by different varie(es of potatoes in order to highlight substances which could repel the insects or prevent their development. Some vola(le collec(ons of infested potatoes are planned to find vola(les which would akract insect natural enemies.
