BACKGROUNDDue to the considerable damage of tomato leafminer in tomato crop, the use of integrated methods is essentially recommended. In this study, the effect of three different elicitors, i.e., methyl jasmonate (MJ), salicylic acid (SA) and ascorbic acid (AA) on the life table parameters of Tuta absoluta were evaluated. The paired bootstrap test and the different bootstrap percentiles were used to compare the projected population sizes on specific date. The survival probabilities were calculated by innovatively linking of life table and multinomial theorem.RESULTSThe preadult duration and mortality significantly increased, and the net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (r), and finite rate of increase (λ) significantly decreased in all elicitor treatments. The lowest fecundity (F = 71.89 eggs/female) was observed in SA treatment, with R0 of 13.48 offspring/individual, r of 0.0932 d‐1, and λ of 1.0977 d‐1. The population projection revealed the stage structure of T. absoluta during population growth and the elicitor treatments significantly reduced the population growth of T. absoluta. The survival probability of bootstrap samples significantly lowered; whereas, the extinction probabilities increased in elicitor treatments than control when the survival criterion is set to two fertile pairs.CONCLUSIONOur results demonstrated that the application of elicitors could reduce the risks of the T. absoluta damage. Furthermore, population projection based on life tables is applicable to obtain the frequency distribution of population size at different times. The joined application of life table and multinomial theorem can be used to calculate the risk of pest emergence.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Considering the high damage caused by the tomato leaf miner moth, Tuta abosulata, in tomato crops, the use of chemical pesticides against this pest is increasing and finding alternative methods that can be combined with chemical control can be effective in the optimal management of this pest. One of these methods is establishing induced resistance in tomato plants by using seed priming before planting. Considering the key role of methyl jasmonate in creating induced resistance in plants, in the present study, tomato seeds (var: Elite) were soaked 24 hours before planting using two concentrations of 0.1 and 0.2 mM methyl jasmonate. Then, in the flowering stage of tomato, the biological and demographic parameters of tomato leaf miner moth were investigated using the agestage two-sex life table. The results showed that seed priming affected the population parameters including Od, F, r and λ in the flowering stage and their value was lower than the control, also these treatments had a smaller population and the length of their larval period was longer than the control. The prediction of the population progress under seed treatment with methyl jasmonate, during 120 days, showed that all four life stages of the insect will have a smaller population than the control on day 120, which hints the negative effect of the treatments on biological and population characteristics of the herbivore and indicates the induction of resistance on the host plant. As a result, methyl jasmonate can be consider in the integrated management programs of tomato leaf miner moth by plant resistance mechanisms.

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