Insect pests are responsible for major losses in crop productivity, and insecticides are the main tools used to control these organisms. There is increasing demand for new products for pest management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of pyrethroids with acid moiety modifications to measure the insecticidal activity of these compounds on Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepid...

The tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta Meyrick is a key insect pest of tomato in Tunisia and in many other countries around the world. The present study was carried out to attempt to acquire better knowledge of the biology of this insect and to implement suitable prophylactic control tools for T. absoluta in Northeastern Tunisia. Under greenhouse conditions, T. absoluta females exhibited a stronger...

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a devastating pest associated with tomato. In this study, effects of tomato plants treated with vermicompost (20, 40, and 60%), humic fertilizer (2, 4 and 6 g/kg soil) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis) were investigated on the life table parameters of T. absoluta in a growth chamber at 25 ± 2...

RNA interference (RNAi), a gene-silencing mechanism that involves providing double-stranded RNA molecules that match a specific target gene sequence, is now widely used in functional genetic studies. The potential application of RNAi-mediated control of agricultural insect pests has rapidly become evident. The production of transgenic plants expressing dsRNA molecules that target essential inse...

The distinction between potentia ordinata and potentia absoluta was a much discussed theme in later medieval theology and philosophy. The content and usefulness of these concepts were disputed. It is clear, however, that the distinction was introduced in the Ž rst place to be able us to indicate that God, through his potentia absoluta, could have acted otherwise than He factually wills to do an...

Five new pesticides were evaluated for their effectiveness in the control of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), (Lepidoptera : Gelechiidae) on tomato plant. The effect of pesticides against egg and larvae were estimated after 2, 5 and 7 days from application. The highest reduction percentage of eggs of Tuta absoluta during two successive seasons achieved by Emacit (81.25 and 74.5) % respectively after 7 ...

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has quickly developed into a significant tomato pest worldwide. While the recently found mirid predators Macrolophus basicornis (Stal), Engytatus varians (Distant) and Campyloneuropsis infumatus (Carvalho) of this pest are able to establish and reproduce on tomato, biological knowledge of these mirids is still limited. Here we describe the functional response of the thre...

The performance of herbivorous insects is related to the locations of defenses and nutrients found in the different plant organs on which they feed. In this context, the females of herbivorous insect species select certain parts of the plant where their offspring can develop well. In addition, their offspring can adapt to plant defenses. A system where these ecological relationships can be stud...

To support management decisions, molecular characterization of data and geo-reference of incidence records of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) were combined with data on the biology and ecology of the pest to estimate its climatic suitability and potential spread at regional and global scale. A CLIMEX model was developed and used for the global prediction of current and future...

The tomato moth, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a major pest in South America and is at present an important invasive species in the Mediterranean Basin. The larval stadium mines leaves, stems, and fruits, and chemical control is the most used control method in both its original range and the invaded distribution regions. Since current T. absoluta control strategies seem limited, ...