The Asian vinegar fly Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing Drosophila (SWD)) has emerged as a major invasive insect pest of small and stone fruits in both the Americas and Europe since the late 2000s. While research efforts have rapidly progressed in Asia, North America, and Europe over the past 5 years, important new insights may be gained in comparing and contrasting findings across the regions affected by SWD. In this review, we explore common themes in the invasion biology of SWD by examining (1) its biology and current pest status in endemic and recently invaded regions; (2) current efforts and future research needs for the development of predictive models for its geographic expansion; and (3) prospects for both natural and classical (=importation) biological control of SWD in invaded habitats, with emphasis on the role of hymenopteran parasitoids. We conclude that particularly fruitful areas of research should include fundamental studies of its overwintering, host-use, and dispersal capa- bilities; as well as applied studies of alternative, cost-ef- fective management techniques to complement insecticide use within the integrated pest management framework. Finally, we emphasize that outreach efforts are critical to effective SWD management by highlighting successful

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Invasion biology of spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): a global perspective and future priorities

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), is native to the western Neotropics. After invading Spain in 2006, it spread rapidly throughout Afro-Eurasia and has become a major threat to world tomato production. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies have been developed, but widespread insecticide use has caused selection for insecticide resistance as well as undesirable effects on key beneficial arthropods. Augmentation and conservation biological control relying on omnivorous mirid predators has proved successful for management of T. absoluta, where implementation is dependent on abiotic, biotic (e.g., alternative prey), and anthropogenic factors (e.g., pesticides). Research has been carried out on larval parasitoids, showing potential for further development of sustainable control. The development of resistant tomato varieties is ongoing, but they are not commercially available yet. Knowledge gaps remain to be filled to optimize IPM packages on tomato crops and to help prevent furth...

Ecology, Worldwide Spread, and Management of the Invasive South American Tomato Pinworm, Tuta absoluta: Past, Present, and Future

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a devastating pest currently threatening the global tomato industry worldwide. In the last 10 years, it has spread and expanded to most of Europe, Africa and Asia, causing extensive damage to the crop itself and to the international tomato trade. With the aim of providing an overview of the current knowledge on this pest, we have briefly reviewed the available literature relying on its spread, quarantine, modeling and management. Finally, we have underlined the gaps in knowledge and provided several recommendations on how to achieve sustainable control as well as how to prevent further spread into unaffected areas.

From the Western Palaearctic region to beyond: Tuta absoluta 10 years after invading Europe

The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an invasive pest of tomato crops that is rapidly expanding around the world. It is considered a devastating pest and its control heavily relies on application of insecticides. Diamides are a novel class of insecticides acting on insect ryanodine receptors and are highly effective against lepidopteran pests. To date, chlorantraniliprole and flubendiamide have been registered in the market and they have been extensively used to manage T. absoluta. In this study, a survey was conducted in Greece and Italy monitoring diamide resistance. The populations originating from Sicily (Italy) exhibited LC50s that ranged between 47.6–435 for chlorantraniliprole and 993–1.376 for flubendiamide, while for Crete (Greece) LC50s ranged between 0.14–2.45 for chlorantraniliprole and 1.7–8.4 for flubendiamide (LC50s in mg L−1). Comparing this result to the susceptible reference strain, high resistance levels for the Italian populations were detected, i.e., up to 2,414- and 1,742-fold for chlorantraniliprole and flubendiamide, respectively. Resistance ratios for Greek populations were found up to 14-fold for chlorantraniliprole and 11-fold for flubendiamide, suggesting that diamide resistance is low but increasing considering monitoring data over time. Hereby, we report for the first time, cases of resistance development to diamide insecticides in T. absoluta. These findings underline the importance of committing to the resistance management strategies for diamide insecticides.

First report of Tuta absoluta resistance to diamide insecticides

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a devastating invasive pest of tomato crops in several areas around the world including Africa. Here, we comprehensively review and discuss the relevant scientific knowledge on its occurrence, biological and ecological aspects, fortuitous insect natural enemies, and potential advantages and constraints of pest management scenarios adopted against this pest in tomato crops in both Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa. We conclude the manuscript with a comprehensive research agenda providing future priorities towards sustainable control of this important tomato pest.

Occurrence, biology, natural enemies and management of Tuta absoluta in Africa

The South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe, it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open-field crops. Among the pest control tactics against exotic pests, biological control using indigenous natural enemies is one of the most promising. Here, available data on the Afro-Eurasian natural enemies of T. absoluta are compiled. Then, their potential for inclusion in sustainable pest control packages is discussed providing relevant examples. Collections were conducted in 12 countries, both in open-field and protected susceptible crops, as well as in wild flora and/or using infested sentinel plants. More than 70 arthropod species, 20 % predators and 80 % parasitoids, were recorded attacking the new pest so far. Among the recovered indigenous natural enemies, only few parasitoid species, namely, some eulophid and braconid wasps, and especially mirid predators, have promising potential to be included in effective and environmentally friendly management strategies for the pest in the newly invaded areas. Finally, a brief outlook of the future research and applications of indigenous T. absoluta biological control agents are provided.

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Ashraf El-Arnaouty

Papers

Natural enemies of the South American moth, Tuta absoluta, in Europe, North Africa and Middle East, and their potential use in pest control strategies