Tuta absoluta
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Damage Signs
4
Organic Methods
3
Chemical Options
5
ID Tips
2
FAQs
4
Crops Affected
Updated February 2026
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Overview
A devastating invasive pest of tomato that spread from South America to Europe (2006), Africa (2008), and Asia, causing 80-100% losses in unprotected tomato crops. Larvae mine inside leaves, bore into stems, and damage fruit directly. T. absoluta has become the single most important insect pest of tomato production in Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
Field Guide
Adults are small (6-7 mm wingspan), silvery-gray moths with black spots. Larvae are small (7-8 mm), cream to green caterpillars found inside leaf mines, stem tunnels, or fruit. Leaf mines are irregular, blotch-shaped, translucent — visible by holding leaves to light. Larvae can be seen inside mines through the transparent upper epidermis.
Hold tomato leaves up to light — irregular translucent mines with small caterpillar visible inside are diagnostic
Mines are irregular and blotchy (not serpentine like other leaf miners)
Check fruit near calyx for small entry holes with black frass at the entrance
Pheromone traps provide definitive confirmation — high catches (>30/week) require action
T. absoluta larvae are smaller (7-8 mm) than tomato fruitworm (Helicoverpa, 25-35 mm)
Scouting Guide
Irregular blotchy leaf mines (translucent patches) — hold leaf to light to see larvae inside
Larvae boring into stems causing wilting above the bore point
Small entry holes in fruit (near calyx or stem end) with frass-filled tunnels inside
Gallery-like mines in green fruit that expand as fruit grows
Complete defoliation in severe uncontrolled infestations
Biology
Egg on leaf underside, stem, or calyx (4-6 days) → 4 larval instars mining in leaves/fruit (12-15 days) → pupa in soil or leaf fold (8-12 days) → adult moth (10-22 days). Generation time 30-40 days. 10-12 generations per year in tropical conditions.
Pest Management
Pheromone traps for monitoring
Deploy delta traps with Tuta absoluta pheromone lures at 1-2 per 500 m² greenhouse or 5 per hectare open field. Catch threshold for action: 30 moths per trap per week.
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray
Apply Bt kurstaki at 1-2 g/L every 5-7 days targeting young larvae. Must be applied before larvae mine deep into leaves. Spray in evening.
Trichogramma egg parasitoid
Release Trichogramma achaeae or T. pretiosum at 25-50 per m² weekly. Tiny wasps parasitize T. absoluta eggs before larvae hatch.
Insect-proof netting
Cover nurseries and greenhouse vents with fine mesh (≤1.6 mm) to exclude adult moths. Essential for greenhouse tomato production.
Use as last resort. Follow label instructions. Wear protective equipment.
Chlorantraniliprole (Coragen 20SC)
Apply at 0.4 ml/L every 10-14 days. Translaminar — penetrates into leaf tissue to reach mining larvae. The most effective single product for T. absoluta.
Emamectin benzoate (Proclaim 5SG)
Apply at 0.5 g/L targeting young larvae. Translaminar and systemic activity.
Cyantraniliprole (Benevia 10OD)
Apply at 1 ml/L. Systemic activity through xylem — protects new growth. Novel mode of action for resistance management.
Host Range
Tomato Leaf Miner (Tuta absoluta) can attack 4 crop species.
Common Questions
T. absoluta spread from South America to Spain in 2006, reached all Mediterranean countries by 2009, and was in sub-Saharan Africa by 2012. The moth travels in infested tomato shipments, and adults can fly 50+ km. Once established, its rapid reproduction (10-12 generations/year), wide insecticide resistance, and ability to attack both protected and open-field tomato enabled explosive population growth.
No. Like fall armyworm, T. absoluta has permanently established wherever it has arrived. The focus must be on integrated management: pheromone monitoring, biological control (Trichogramma, mirid predators), selective insecticides in rotation, and sanitation (destroying infested crop debris).
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