Potential of biological control agents against <i>Tuta absoluta</i> (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): current knowledge in Argentina
Pest suppression through biological control seeks to maximize the action of the pest's natural enemies with the goal of reducing pesticide use. We present a summary of published studies and original findings on several entomophagous species as biocontrol agents of <i>Tuta absoluta</i&g...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Articulo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2015
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/86092 |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | Pest suppression through biological control seeks to maximize the action of the pest's natural enemies with the goal of reducing pesticide use. We present a summary of published studies and original findings on several entomophagous species as biocontrol agents of <i>Tuta absoluta</i> (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a key pest of tomato crops in Argentina, with the aim to select potential candidates for its management. Spontaneously occurring <i>T. absoluta</i> egg parasitism was lower than that inflicted by the larval parasitoids <i>Dineulophus phthorimaeae</i> (De Santis, 1983) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and <i>Pseudapanteles dignus</i> (Muesebeck, 1938) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). These parasitoids exhibit important life history traits in laboratory conditions and produce relevant amounts of <i>T. absoluta</i> mortality in the field. Surveys carried out in Tucumán and Buenos Aires provinces, Argentina, revealed that <i>D. phthorimaeae</i> and <i>P. dignus</i> coexist in tomato and eggplant crops; <i>T. absoluta</i>-<i>P. dignus</i> interaction is also found on other non-cultivated solanaceous species present in horticultural farms. In addition, studies are currently under way to determine the predation ability of <i>Zelus obscuridorsis</i> (Stål, 1860) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) on both larvae and adults of the pest. Finally, we discuss the prospects for implementing experimental augmentative releases of <i>P. dignus</i> to control the pest, a candidate selected considering various positive biological traits and because of its simple mass production and manipulation compared with other antagonists of <i>T. absoluta</i>. |
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