Tomato leafminer

The Tomato Leaf miner is an invasive species with scientific name Tuta absoluta. The tomato Leaf miner is a moth that infects crops and plants, especially tomatoes. This specie is best know for their disastrous affects that it has on sweet pepper, eggplants, tomatoes, and many more. This species has some interesting facts some which they have been reported, to being able to fly 100 kilometers. Another one is how they affect plants,they put holes in the fruit, which common gives the infection to the fruit. One other interesting fact about Tomato Leafminer is the amount it reproduces in a lifetime which is 250 to 300. The reproduction rate can affect the amount of crops that will be damaged. The Tomato Leaf miner is a interesting species, and we should all know more about it. .

Body Design
The tomato leafminer or is a moth. The larvae stage has a creamish color with a darker head with a length of about 0.9 mm to 7.5 mm. the moth's egg is a small cylindrical with a creamish to a yellowish whiteish coloration that ar 0.35 mm long. the moth's pupa however is a dark brownish color and it is 7.5mm long. the moth however has the most distinctive features are their filiform antennae or bead like antennae, and they have silverfish scales with black spots around the wings.

Life Cycle
The Tomato leaf miner has approximately 11 generations per year, because they reproduce very rapidly. Its life span are is very short and it lives for about 30-35 days per generation. The adult females usually lay up to 260 eggs on a plant before its life cycle is over with. The eggs they lay are about .35 milli meters, creamy white or yellow color and are small. After the eggs are laid they hatch in about 4-6 days. the larva has a dark head and a cream colored body. On leaves, soil, or within mines pupation (to become a pupa) might take place. The adults are about 6-10 millimeters in length and they resemble small moths.

The Tuta Absolute or Tomato leaf miner has four different instars (an insect in any one of its periods of postembryonic growth between molts) The egg, larva, pre-pupa, pupa, and the adult. The eggs are small and are a oyster-white or yellow color. 73% of the eggs are layered on leaves, 21% on veins and stems, 5% on sepals, and 1% on fruits. The larva are a white color, but in the second to fourth instar it turns a greenish pinkish color. The pre-pupa have a pink dorsal surface. They build a silk cocoon in the soil or in leaves. If pupation happens in fruits or mines, they don't build cocoons. The pupa's color is a green, then when turning into a adult, its color changes into a chestnut brown to brown color. When they finally reach their adult stage the Tuta Absoluta are about 10 millimeters long, and they have silver-grey scales.

Ecology
The Ecology of The Tomato Leaf miner has many different parts to it. It doesn't need much as other invasive species do. It doesn't need any Abiotic requirements in it's life. They mainly live in farms, areas such as Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as shown in the picture.These species are known to eat and infect fruits, mainly tomatoes,steams,leaves and many more. It has 3 main types of predators the Rambur, Ruetur and the Dicyphus these species were found preying on the eggs of the moth

The second part of the Tomato Leaf miner ecology is an in depth topic on it's affects on farmers, and people. It has impacted farmers with, the amount of money the farmer receives, and the peoples demand for these tomatoes. Tomato Leaf miner started 2006 and has been growing rapidly ever since. The moth has destroyed more than 80% of tomato crops in Kaduna, Nigeria. It also damages leaves, fruits and tomatoes, and also the constant reproducing of the moths, also affect these farmers who can't pay for their integrated pest management. One female may deposit up to 250-260 eggs during her lifetime. The Tuta Absoluta impacts the costs of these tomatoes."the price for a large basket of tomatoes rose to $212, from just $1.50 to $7.50 before the shortage. Also in Kenya, tomato prices rose from $1.25 per a kilogram after the moth breakout from just 60 cents . This really affects the people, because of the amount of money more they have to pay, because of these moths affecting the area. These moths can also change the people's demand, because of the moth outbreak. At the end of the day it is a lose lose situation for the farmers. The Tomato Leaf miner ecology affects farmers, and the people.

Invasive Species
Location and Method of Introduction the tomato leafminer has traveled from south  America and has traveled to England, France, Spain, Italy and Napal. the that the moth got to the mediterania is unknow but it was first spotted in easten spain in 2006so it was mostly cause from trading tomatoes.

Environmental Impact The Tomato Leaf miner is an animal that is dangerous to the environment. It affects plants other than tomatoes and leaf.It affects eggplants, potatoes, and sweet peppers. The way it affects these plants is they often leave infections on the leaves and fruits which leads to the fruits rotting, and will not let the farmer sell the fruits. The Tomato Leaf miner can cause 50-100 percent yield reduction on the tomato crops, and its presence and products may limit the export to several destinations. This is very challenging for new farmers, who don't have very much money to start with for examples framers in Nigeria, can't afford Integrated pest management, and the fact that most of their crops can't even be sold because of the infections and the rotting in the fruits. The Tomato Leaf miner impact on the environment is significant to these farmers, because they are losing a lot of money trying to control these animals.

Control Methods The Tomato leaf miner is becoming a problem for lots of farmers around the world. These pests are a kind of moth, whose scientific name is Tuta Absoluta. There are some ways to control the spread of these pests which include, Integrated Pest Management, the use of chemicals, mass trapping and other products like pheromones. Pheromone traps are used for mass trapping, and it can reduce the tomato leaf miners population. For mass trapping, you need to put a high number of traps in your field or greenhouse. 2-4 traps per hectare are used for monitoring the tomato leaf minor, but if you want to use it for mass trapping, you need to put 2-3 traps per tumolo in a greenhouse. 4-5 traps per tumolo are used for mass trapping in fields. In both greenhouses and fields the traps should be spread 25 meters apart. To avoid chemical control in greenhouses and fields, insecticides can not be used in the early cropping seasons, and when there are no tomato leaf minors present. To prevent the tomato leaf minors that are 7-10 millimeters tall from getting in the greenhouse, secure all the ventilation with insect netting. Also, to prevent the carry-over of the pest, make sure there are no old plants, fruits or weeds in the greenhouse. These are some ways which you can control the Tuta Absolute.

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