Abstract
ABSTRACT Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is the most destructive pest of tomato worldwide. Biological control has always been considered as a promising management approach of this pest in tomatoes. In this context, we evaluated the effectiveness of releasing Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal parasitoids or Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) predators in controlling T. absoluta in greenhouse tomatoes of northeastern Tunisia. Two weekly releases of either M. pygmaeus at 1 adult/m2 or T. cacoeciae at 20 adults/plant were assessed. Our results indicated that parasitism rates were significantly higher on the apical tomato leaves compared to the middle leaves. We found that the number of T. absoluta eggs and larvae was significantly reduced after releasing T. cacoeciae, while releases of M. pygmaeus did not significantly reduce T. absoluta densities. The present study demonstrated the great potential of releasing T. cacoeciae in controlling T. absoluta in greenhouse tomatoes of northeastern Tunisia. However, further studies are needed to evaluate other release rates of M. pygmaeus that could show promising effectiveness against T. absoluta in northeastern Tunisian greenhouses.
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