Tuta absoluta caught in a tomato packing station in the Netherlands
In January 2009, 3 specimens of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae - EPPO A1 List) were caught in pheromone traps during a survey carried out in a tomato packing station in the Netherlands. This packing station is specialized in sorting and packaging bulk vine tomatoes produced in the Netherlands and Spain, but at the time of capture most tomato fruits originated from Spain. The NPPO considered this report as an incidental finding because only a very small number of insects was found (not a population) and because it seemed very unlikely that T. absoluta could spread from the packing station to nearby glasshouses during wintertime.
The pest status of Tuta absoluta in the Netherlands is officially declared as: Absent, confirmed by surveys. Incidental finding in January 2009.
Sources
NPPO of the Netherlands, 2009-02. http://www.minlnv.nl