Suitability of European Trichogramma Species as Biocontrol Agents against the Tomato Leaf Miner Tuta absoluta

摘要

The tomato leaf miner , originally from South America, is an invasive species threatening European tomato crops. Since various insecticides have become ineffective in controlling , effective and environmentally friendly alternatives are needed. Biological control, especially by parasitoids, is considered to be an effective means of reducing this pest. Thus, the aim of our study was to identify promising candidates of parasitoids for biological control of in Europe. We assessed the efficiency of nine European species and compared them to , as this species is already commercially available. Firstly, we verified species identity of the 10 rearing strains using molecular and morphological methods. Then, host acceptance, host preference ( vs. rearing host eggs) and host searching capacity were tested under laboratory conditions. Our results indicated that , and achieved a similar level of parasitism on potted tomato plants as . For the next step, these promising strains should be tested under greenhouse conditions.