Annual Generations and Population Fluctuation of Tomato Leaf Miner Moth Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera :Gelechiidae) in El-Behera Governorate, Egypt.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Protection Department Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Egypt

2 Plant Protection Research Institute, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

Egypt is considered one of the important tomato producers in the world that has appropriate climate for tomato along year in three different plantation seasons viz., winter, autumn and summer.  Tomato infestation with tomato leaf miners (TLM) reached 70% in El-Behera governorate in 2011. So current study aimed throw some lights on population fluctuation of TLM males along two year (2013-2014) and different seasons by using pheromone traps, in addition studying the effect of climatic factors (Maximum, minimum, mean temperature and relative humidity)on males activity. Moreover and basically estimation numbers, duration of annual generations and population density in all observed generation by applying two different mains[First main depend on Daily Degree Units and second main suggested by Audemard and Millaire (1975) and emended by Iacob (1977)] in generation estimations were also concerned. Results reflected that TL Mmale population density of LTM varied from season to another. Spring season was the highest followed by summer, but each of winter and autumn were the lowest, that there were no significant differences between the last two seasons. Effect of tested climatic factors is obvious along a year, not can be observed in specific seasons, that their combined effects responsible as a group for 34.09% and 35.76 % on population density in the both years of study, respectively. Eleven annual generations were observed along a year in both years of study, moreover times and duration of all estimated generations were paralleled in the both used mains of generation estimations. The first and eleventh generations were nearly longest but with lowest in TLM male population numbers. The Ninth generation, considered as overlapped generation between summer and autumn season. Each of spring, summer and autumn season have three generations