Abstract
The lesser tomato leaf miner Tuta (=Scrobipalpula) absoluta (Myerick), is a pest insect of primary importance in the insect complex that attacks tomato in Venezuela. Several control The strategies for its control with an IPM program have been: cultural strategies, such as the destruction of post-harvest residues and rotation with non-solanaceous crops, biological control with the egg parasitoid Trichogramma sp. and the use of biological and organosynthetic insecticides. Its synthetic sex pheromone [(3E, 8Z, 11Z)-3,8,11-tetradecatrienyl acetate (95%) + (3E, 8Z)-3,8-tetradecadienyl acetate (5%)], dispensed in rubber septa, was evaluated in experimental tomato plots in 1997 and in commercials plantings in 1999, using water traps (TA) and Delta sticky traps (TDA) as capture devices. Results showed that TA captures ranged from 1,25 and 4,33 adults per trap per night (a/t/n), and TDA between 0,52 and 2,75 a/t/n during the first five weeks which could indicate that populations were low. After placing out new lures (19-09-97), captures increase substantially, ranging from 4,11 and 17,58 a/t/n and 2,11 and 15,42 a/t/n, respectively. In 1999 capture in both traps was low, ranging from 0,46 and 8,18 a/t/n and 0,59 and 2,48 a/t/n, respectively. TA had a greater number of captures with differences (p<0,05) compared to TDA. These results suggest that this pheromone can detect this insect pest even in low populations and represents a new alternative to monitor and/or control its populations in an IPM program.
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