First report of Tuta absoluta in Yemen
In January 2013, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae – EPPO A2 List) was found infesting tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in Yemen, in the governorates of Sana’a, Hudeidah, Lahj, Abyan, and Al-Baydah. In February 2013, official surveys detected the pest on 304 tomato farms located in 88 districts of 12 governorates. These surveys also showed that 70% of the inspected tomato crops were infested by T. absoluta. It is estimated that in the absence of an effective control program, potential damage to tomato production could exceed 300 million USD. A control program is being developed and will include pheromone trapping (more than 15;000 pheromone traps will be distributed), a media campaign, and training of extension agents and growers on how to manage the pest. This is the first report of T. absoluta in Yemen.
The situation of Tuta absoluta in Yemen can be described as follows: Present, first found in 2013 in 12 governorates, under official control.
Sources
INTERNET (via PestLens)
Embassy of the United States in Sana’a, Yemen. US Government helps to combat tomato pest (2013-03-17). http://yemen.usembassy.gov/hctp.html