Tomato Pinworm
Scientific group or name: Keiferia lycopersicella
Overview
Tomato pinworm is a small moth whose larvae mine leaves and may enter stems and fruit. It should not be confused with Tuta absoluta.
Host plants
Tomato and related Solanaceae.
Identification
Young larvae create narrow mines; older larvae fold or tie leaves and may bore beneath the fruit calyx.
Damage and symptoms
Mining, leaf folding and fruit entry reduce vigour and marketability.
Lifecycle and favourable conditions
Warm climates and protected production can support overlapping generations.
Monitoring
Inspect leaves and fruit calyces and use species-appropriate pheromone traps where the pest is known to occur.
Management
Use clean plants, remove infested residues, maintain crop-free breaks and prevent movement of infested material.
Biological control and natural enemies
Egg parasitoids and caterpillar-active biological agents may contribute where registered and correctly timed.
Biological control should be selected only after the pest has been identified and the crop, temperature, growing environment and pest pressure have been considered.
Related BioWiki pages
This page provides general integrated pest-management information. Identification and control decisions should be confirmed for the crop and local situation.