Life Table Parameters of <I>Tuta absoluta</I> (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Different Varieties of Tomato

Abstract

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), a tomato leaf miner, is one of the destructive pests of tomatoes, which is native to South America, and has been considered as a quarantined pest for Iran since 2010 while it has quickly spread all around the country and is known as a key pest in tomato-cultured regions since 2012. In the current study, the life table parameters of T. absoluta were studied on cut leaves of three greenhouse cultivars of tomato including 'Atabay', 'Cluse', and 'Perenses'. Data were analyzed based on the age-stage, two-sex life table analysis. Results showed differences in the duration of egg, larvae, pupae, and adults. Meanwhile, the life table parameters including intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), net reproductive rate (R0), and gross reproductive rate (GRR) were categorized increasingly based on the feeding on Cluse, Atabay, and Perenses, respectively. The findings of the current study showed that the Cluse could be nominated as an unsuitable host for tomato leaf miner among cultivars because of its negative influences on the pest's biological parameters. Moreover, these results may develop the finding and screening process of relatively resistant cultivars to be used in the management of T. absoluta.