First record of Tuta absoluta in Germany
The NPPO of Germany recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first record of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae – EPPO A2 List) on its territory. The pest was found in Baden-Württemberg during a monitoring programme which was carried out from September to October 2009. Pheromone traps were placed in tomato crops, central markets, and packing stations. In total, 27 adults were caught in pheromone traps. T. absoluta was caught in 1 central market, 1 packing station, and 4 production sites. All infested production sites were located near central markets and packing stations, or were sites where additional tomatoes had been regularly brought from Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. It is thought that T. absoluta has been introduced with consignments of tomatoes from infested countries. At the infested production sites, tomato plants are subject to destruction measures.
The pest status of Tuta absoluta in Germany is officially declared as: Transient, only in some areas, actionable, under surveillance.
Sources
NPPO of Germany, 2009-12.