Keiferia lycopersicella

(Walsingham, 1897)

Tomato Pinworm

Keiferia lycopersicella, the tomato pinworm, is a and significant agricultural pest of Solanaceae . to warm regions of the Americas, it has expanded its range through greenhouse production and international trade. The completes seven to eight annually in favorable climates. are and fruit borers, causing direct damage to tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. communicate via , with synthetic lures used for and management.

Keiferia lycopersicella by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Keiferia lycopersicella: //ˌkaɪ.fɛɹ.i.ə ˌlaɪ.kə.pɚˈsɪ.sɛl.ə//

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Identification

Distinguished from other Keiferia by association with Solanaceae and geographic distribution. Larval damage—silken tents on leaf undersides with entry tunnels into leaves, stems, or fruits—is characteristic. may be identified to by ; species confirmation requires association with host or molecular analysis. Similar lack the specific tent-spinning on Solanaceae.

Images

Appearance

Small with wingspan of 9–12 mm. have narrow, pointed characteristic of . Coloration not explicitly described in available sources; likely cryptic gray- typical of the .

Habitat

Warm temperate to tropical agricultural regions. Thrives in open field production of solanaceous in Mexico, southern United States, and Caribbean. Established in protected greenhouse environments in cooler regions including Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Distribution

to warm areas of North America, Central America, and Caribbean: Mexico, California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Cuba, Hispaniola, Bahamas. Expanded to greenhouses in Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Virginia. Established in Europe: mainland Italy. Widespread in Central America ( Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago) and South America (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela). Also reported in Canada (Ontario), Jamaica, and Haiti.

Seasonality

Seven to eight per year in warm climates. Activity year-round in tropical and greenhouse environments; seasonal in temperate outdoor .

Diet

feed exclusively on Solanaceae: Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), Solanum melongena (eggplant), Solanum tuberosum (potato), Solanum carolinense, Solanum xanthii, Solanum umbelliferum, Solanum bahamense. do not feed; mouthparts reduced or non-functional.

Host Associations

Solanum lycopersicum - larval primary ; 'tomato pinworm' derives from this association
Solanum melongena - larval eggplant
Solanum tuberosum - larval potato
Solanum carolinense - larval wild
Solanum xanthii - larval wild
Solanum umbelliferum - larval wild
Solanum bahamense - larval wild

Life Cycle

Seven to eight annually in favorable climates. stage lasts at least 5 days; viability for declines after 3 days. Young spin silken tents on leaf undersides, then tunnel into leaves. Later may enter stems or fruits. site not explicitly described in available sources. and mating synchronized with scotophase.

Behavior

Young construct protective silken tents on leaf undersides, using these as shelter while creating entry tunnels. Male exhibit oriented upwind to female sources during dark periods (scotophase). -mediated enables using synthetic lures.

Ecological Role

and agricultural pest of Solanaceae . serve as for , particularly Trichogramma pretiosum and Trichogramma brassicae, which have been evaluated for . rates of 40–50% observed in controlled conditions.

Human Relevance

Major economic pest of tomato, eggplant, and potato production. Larval leaf mining and fruit boring reduce yield and marketability. Subject to programs using Trichogramma ; T. pretiosum recommended at -to- ratios of 1:1 to 10:1 for greenhouse management. lures used for and timing of control interventions.

Similar Taxa

Tuta absolutaAlso a pest of tomato with larval mining ; distinguished by geographic origin (South America, expanding globally), lack of silken tent construction, and different chemistry
Other Keiferia speciesAll congeneric with documented are Solanaceae ; K. lycopersicella distinguished by specific host range and distribution; K. azapaensis recently described from Asteraceae host represents exception in

More Details

Biological Control

Trichogramma pretiosum and T. brassicae parasitize 40–50% of in controlled conditions. T. pretiosum causes significantly higher egg mortality than T. brassicae. success decreases at 28°C compared to 20–25°C, and declines with egg age beyond 3 days.

Pheromone Chemistry

Female-produced contains (E)-4-tridecenyl acetate and (E)-4-tridecen-1-ol as major components. Synthetic elicit oriented male response.

Ozone Interactions

- suitability is modified by atmospheric ozone exposure, affecting of plant- interactions.