Potential of mass trapping for Tuta absoluta managementin greenhouse tomato crops using light and pheromone traps

Abstract: The effectiveness of mass trapping using light and pheromone water traps to controltomato infestations of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) was investigated in SouthwesternSardinia. Trials were carried out in commercial plastic greenhouses equipped with insect-proofnets in both winter – -summer and summer – winter tomato growing seasons. Light traps weretested at the density of 1 trap/1000m2, 1/700m2, 1/500m2, or 1/350m2 while pheromone trapswere evaluated at the density of 1 trap/350m2, 1/250m2 or 1/100m2. The efficacy of masstrapping was evaluated by comparing weekly the damage on leaves and fruits in treated anduntreated greenhouses. Pheromone traps at the tested densities were not effective in reducing leafand fruit damage in both seasons. On the other hand, light traps reduced significantly the leafdamage at low/moderate T. absoluta population density during the summer – winter season,while they were ineffective in winter – summer, when the tomato leafminer density soared at theend of the tomato cultivation.