Discrimination of larvae of the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, from other gelechiid larvae attacking solanaceous plants in Japan (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Abstract

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of the most important pests of tomato. Its occurrence in Japan was first recognized in 2021, in Kumamoto and Miyazaki prefectures. This study was performed to examined the morphological characteristics of all larval stages of T. absoluta for comparison with other Japanese solanaceous-plant-associated gelechiid moths. Two gelechiid species feed on solanaceous plants in Japan: the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller, 1873) and Ergasiola ergasima (Meyrick, 1916). This study showed that all instar larvae of these species can be identified based on the prothoracic shield, and the arrangements of subdorsal (SD) (segments A1-8) and subventral (SV) (segment A2) setae.