First Record of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Senegal

Abstract

The tomato leafminer, also known as South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a native of South America, where it is a serious pest of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.; Solanales: Solanaceae) but also known to attack cultivated solanaceous plants such as eggplant (Solanum melongena L.; Solanaceae), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.; Solanaceae), pepper (Capsicum annuum L.; Solanaceae), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.; Solanaceae), solanaceous weeds and garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; Fabales: Fabaceae) (Ferracini et al. 2012). Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) was accidentally introduced to Spain in 2006, from where it spread north to the Netherlands and east to Iran (Desneux et al. 2010, 2011; Baniameri & Cheraghian 2012). In northern Africa, it was reported in Tunisia in 2008 (Abbes et al. 2012), Morroco in 2008 (Ouardi et al. 2012), north of the Sahel in 2008 (Desneux et al. 2010), Western Africa in 2010 (USDA APHIS 2011), Sudan and Ethiopia in 2011 (Anon. 2012).