Determination of Egg Laying Preferences of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Wild Tomato Species

Abstract

In this study, the egg-laying preferences of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) on five different wild tomato species were examined. For this purpose, wild tomato species Solanum arcanum (LA2152), S. habrochaites (LA0094), Solanum lycopersicum (LA0292), Solanum pimpinellifolium (LA0100) and Solanum pennellii (LA0716) were experimented together with the sensitive species selected as control (S. lycopersicum cv Depar). According to the results, among the wild tomato species, S. habrochaites was the least egg laid species and S. lycopersicum was the most egg laid species than the control by the T. absoluta. Egg-laying preferences of T. absoluta to the other wild tomato species are listed from high to low as S. pimpinellifolium, S. pennellii and S. arcanum, respectively. In the assessments using with the Repellent Index determined that, S. habrochaites species showed a repellent effect to females, but there was no difference between male species. The plant preferences of male individuals were also determined, and there were no statistical differences between the preferences of male individuals among all studied wild tomato species.