Abstract
The tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta, originally from South America, is an invasive species threatening European tomato crops. Since various insecticides have become ineffective in controlling T. absoluta, effective and environmentally friendly alternatives are needed. Biological control, especially by Trichogramma parasitoids, is considered to be an effective means of reducing this pest. Thus, the aim of our study was to identify promising candidates of Trichogramma parasitoids for biological control of T. absoluta in Europe. We assessed the efficiency of nine European Trichogramma species and compared them to Trichogramma achaeae, as this species is already commercially available. Firstly, we verified species identity of the 10 rearing strains using molecular and morphological methods. Then, host acceptance, host preference (T. absoluta vs. rearing host Sitotroga cerealella eggs) and host searching capacity were tested under laboratory conditions. Our results indicated that T. nerudai, T. pintoi and T. cacoeciae achieved a similar level of parasitism on potted tomato plants as T. achaeae. For the next step, these promising strains should be tested under greenhouse conditions.
Highlights
Increasing globalization and environmental changes facilitate the spread and establishment of invasive species [1,2]
Species identity of eight rearing strains was verified according to BLAST analysis (Table 2)
The results of the present study indicated that T. nerudai, T. pintoi, and T. cacoeciae can demonstrate a comparable performance in using eggs of T. absoluta as host and achieved a similar efficiency on potted tomato plants as the control species T. achaeae
Summary
Increasing globalization and environmental changes facilitate the spread and establishment of invasive species [1,2]. Besides major risks for the environment, non-target organisms [10,11,12,13], and human health [14,15], the intensive use of pesticides promotes the development of resistances. Due to their mine-feeding behavior, T. absoluta larvae are less susceptible to chemical control and frequent applications are necessary [16]. European Community (EC) legislation has limited the availability of active ingredients This will further reduce the use of conventional pesticides in the European Union [21]. Alternative strategies are required that are both effective and environmentally friendly
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