Population Parameters of Tomato Leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lep.: Gelechiidae) on Three Solanaceous Plants in Laboratory Condition

Tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a serious key pest of solanaceaous crops specially tomato. The insect is an oligophagous pest which is native to South America especially to Peru. Because of the importance of the pest and irreparable damage on solanaceous plants, population parameters of the insect on three host plants including tomato, eggplant and pepper were determined by life table method. All trials were performed in a growth chamber at 25±1°C, 60 ± 5% RH and 16: 8 h (L:D) photoperiod. The tomato leaf miner was reared on each host plant for two generations and eggs of the 3rd generation were used in the experiments. The value of parameters, rm (intrinsic rate of population increase), λ (finite rate of population increase), Ro (net reproductive rate) and T (average one generation) for tomato leaf miner on tomato and eggplant were (0.094±0.006, 0.0615±0.005 day-1), (1.098±0.007, 1.063±0.006 day-1), (22.48±4.72, 10.95±2.26 offspring) and (33.35±0.32, 38.90±0.27 day) respectively. Also, Tomato leaf miner did not completed life cycle on pepper.The results show significant differences between the different host plants. These results can be used for a successful IPM program against the tomato leaf miner in solanaceous fields and greenhouses.