A review on destructive tomato pest, Phthorimaea absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and its management

Tomato has extremely important health benefits which make it an important crop all around the world. Among several insect pests of tomato, Tuta absoluta is the most devastating pest. This insect-pest has become one of the leading pests of tomato plants in recent years. The yield losses are often in the range of 80-100%. Larval stages of Tuta absoluta are by far the most destructive stage of the insect because of its feeding habits. The neonate larvae feed on tomato fruits, leaves, flower buds and young shoots. Several chemical insecticides are used against this pest but resistance development to insecticides was reported. There is need of integrated pest management to control the pest population. This review discusses about the harmful effect of chemical pesticides and alternative methods to control Tuta absoluta population. Different methods of pest control include botanical control, biological control and new emerging techniques of green synthesized nanoparticles.