Abstract
ABSTRACT The small tomato fruit borer Neoleucinodes elegantalis is a pest of wild and cultivated solanaceous of economic importance, such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and scarlet eggplant. We compared the development, survival and reproduction of N. elegantalis in cultivated and wild Solanaceae as alternative hosts in the absence of tomato plants in the field. The development time was significantly affected by the host plant and was longer in larvae feeding on eggplant. Survival of the immature stages was higher in larvae fed on tomato and eggplant, although the development cycle was completed in all hosts. Fecundity was also influenced by the host plant and was lower when the larvae fed on scarlet eggplant and the wild solanaceae Solanum paniculatum (jurubeba). The net reproductive rate was lower in jurubeba and the intrinsic growth rate was higher in Solanum sp. The results show that both wild Solanum species can act as alternative hosts for N. elegantalis during the intercropping of tomato in winter and autumn and may thus act as larval reservoirs for infestations on cultivated species. The large number of hosts able to sustain the development of N. elegantalis is another factor, together with world’s climate changes, to increase the invasive potential of N. elegantalis into tomato-producing countries.
Highlights
The small tomato fruit borer, Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an oligophagous pest that attacks fruits of the family Solanaceae. It is widely distributed in Central and South America (EPPO, 2015), infesting most solanaceous of economic importance, such as tomato, eggplant, pepper and scarlet eggplant (Picanço et al, 1997; EPPO, 2015)
The biological parameters of N. elegantalis feeding on wild hosts in the larval stage showed that both uncultivated Solanum species are able to sustain its population, since the development cycle, reproduction and survival to produce a second generation were successfully achieved on these hosts
There is no reference in the literature on the potential of uncultivated Solanum plants to sustain the development and reproduction of N. elegantalis
Summary
The small tomato fruit borer, Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an oligophagous pest that attacks fruits of the family Solanaceae. It is widely distributed in Central and South America (EPPO, 2015), infesting most solanaceous of economic importance, such as tomato, eggplant, pepper and scarlet eggplant (Picanço et al, 1997; EPPO, 2015). Wild solanaceous fruits are reported as hosts of N. elegantalis (Zucchi et al, 1993; Díaz-Montilla et al, 2013; EPPO, 2015), These plants can be used as a refuge by N. elegantalis, allowing its survival when cultivated species are not available during the tomato offseason, or when agricultural practices are carried out during cultivation, such as after insecticide applications (Fitt, 1989). Life table analysis were built to evaluate survival and growth of N. elegantalis populations feeding and developing on these host plants
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