Tomato Moths
Overview
Tomato crops can be affected by several moth pests, including leaf-mining and fruit-feeding species.
The most important specialist pest is Tuta absoluta, but other caterpillar pests may also damage tomatoes.
Symptoms
Typical symptoms include:
- leaf mines
- chewed leaves
- frass
- fruit holes
- stem damage
- damaged flower trusses
Risk conditions
| Condition | Risk |
|---|---|
| Warm protected crops | High |
| Open vents and doors | Moderate |
| Crop carryover | High |
| Poor fruit inspection | High |
Monitoring
Inspect:
- leaves
- fruit clusters
- sticky traps
- pheromone traps where used
- crop edges
IPM approach
Useful strategies:
- regular fruit inspection
- trap monitoring
- removal of damaged fruit
- removal of mined leaves
- crop hygiene
- clean-down between crops
Commonly affected crops
Related BioWiki pages
Key message
Tomato moth problems are best managed through early monitoring, hygiene and rapid removal of damaged tissue.