Tuta absoluta found in Piemonte region, Italy
In Italy, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae – EPPO A2 List) was first reported in spring 2008 in Calabria, and then on tomato crops in several other Italian regions (EPPO RS 2009/023, 2009/106 and 2009/153, 2009/172). The NPPO of Italy recently informed the EPPO Secretariat of the first detection of T. absoluta in Piemonte region. During a monitoring programme, T. absoluta was caught (on pheromone traps) in glasshouse tomato crops in the municipalities of Pecetto Torinese (Torino province), Beinasco (Torino province), Fossano (Cuneo province), Ceresole d’Alba (Cuneo province), Asti (Asti province) and Alessandria (Alessandria province). In addition, several specimens were caught in a large fruit and vegetable market in Torino, and in the premises of a company transforming tomato fruits in Pozzolo Formigaro (Alessandria province).
The situation of Tuta absoluta in Italy can be described as follows: Present, first found in 2008, now reported from Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Liguria, Sardegna, Sicilia, Piemonte, Puglia, Umbria, and Veneto, under official control.
Sources
NPPO of Italy, 2009-12.