Insecticide resistance in the tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta: patterns, spread, mechanisms, management and outlook

Abstract

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive pest difficult to control. Insecticide application is quite common and remains the prevalent control method particularly in open-field cultivation systems. As a result, insecticide resistance to many chemical classes of insecticides has been described both in South America and in Europe. The development of insecticide resistance is relatively fast in this species, and the main mechanisms involved are altered target-site sensitivity and/or enhanced detoxification, depending on the chemical class. However, insecticide resistance mechanisms do not differ between South America and Europe and are mainly due to simple genotype variations leading to high levels of resistance. The presence of resistance alleles at low frequency, especially against newer chemistry, is of major concern, as they tend to spread with the invasions making tomato pinworm particularly difficult to control. The monitoring methods and management programmes developed for the species benefited from the pro-activity of the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee and its country groups, particularly in Brazil and Spain. Bioassay methods were developed, resistance monitoring activities initiated and resistance management guidance was provided. The implementation of integrated control programmes and appropriate resistance management strategies as part of such programs is of utmost importance to keep tomato pinworm infestations under economic damage thresholds, thus guaranteeing sustainable yields.

Diamide resistance: 10 years of lessons from lepidopteran pests

“…A slowing down of new MoA discovery (Sparks and Lorsbach 2017), combined with increased regulatory pressure, further hampers insecticide MoA rotation, whilst globalisation increases the likelihood of novel pest invasions, and climate change expands their invasive range (Chapman et al 2017). In this context, we reiterate calls for effective IRM [following (Guedes et al 2019)], and we call for a three-step strategy of resistance Identification, Tracking and Prediction following the protocols mentioned in this article.…”

“…In tomato plants, colonisation occurs early, meaning damage prevention requires a fast-acting means of control (Silva et al 2011). However, as against other moth species, a heavy reliance on diamide insecticides has accelerated resistance development, especially as other MOAs had already lost efficacy and therefore were not available for rotation (Guedes et al 2019;Silva et al 2011). In a survey carried out in 2011, diamides provided excellent levels of control against Brazilian populations, with flubendiamide (FLB) LD50 at less than 0.1-0.25 mg/L (Campos et al 2015).…”

Fitness costs in clothianidin-resistant population of the melon aphid, Aphis gossypii

“…Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) showed 69.76- and 113.29-fold resistance against deltamethrin and gossypol, respectively following 10 generations selections [ 63 ]. There have been numerous studies to investigate selection-induced resistance in many insect and insecticide combinations [ 64 – 68 ]. The resistance ratio was lower in CT-R strain of A .…”

Impact of a shared sugar food source on biological control of Tuta absoluta by the parasitoid Necremnus tutae

“…However, insecticide efficiency may be compromised due to the cryptic nature behavior of the larvae that mine leaves, and occasionally stems, flowers and tomatoes (Guedes and Picanço 2012). Moreover, wide use of insecticides can cause extensive side effects, such as the development of resistance to insecticides in T. absoluta populations (Campos et al 2015;Roditakis et al 2018; and see Guedes et al 2019) as well as a detrimental impact on non-target organisms such as natural enemies (Lu et al 2012;Biondi et al 2015;Jam and Saber 2018;Mohammed et al 2018;Passos et al 2018;Soares et al 2019a, b) through multiple potential sublethal effects (Desneux et al 2007). Indeed, an alternative to conventional pest control is to increase the activity of naturally occurring enemies within integrated pest management (IPM) programs (Ragsdale et al 2011;Biondi et al 2018;Perovic et al 2018;Jactel et al 2019).…”