EFFICIENCY OF PHEROMONE WATER TRAPS AND LIFE CYCLE OF TUTA ABSOLUTA (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIIDAE) IN DIYARBAKIR PROVINCE, TURKEY

The first detection of Tomato leaf miner, [(Tuta absoluta) (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)] in Turkey was in 2009 and it rapidly spread and became the major pest in the areas where tomato is cultivated, including Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. The aim of this study was to investigate the infestation status, life cycle and efficiency of pheromone water traps of Tomato leaf miner in Diyarbakir province, Turkey. The studies were conducted in farmers' fields and Diyarbakir Plant Protection Research Institute trial field between 2011-2013 years. Tomato leaf miners were subjected to trials in cages and the pheromone water traps were used for biotechnical control at open tomato fields. The infestation rate of T. absoluta was low in seedling stage and during ripening period of fruit and the infestation rate reached up to 100% and continued until the harvest in both years in the Central and Bismil districts of Diyarbakir. The pheromone water traps were not sufficient to control T. absoluta in spite of a large number of males caught. Adults of T. absoluta flying were recorded during at the end of March (8-12 degrees C and 62-75% relative humidity). Five generations were determined for T. absoluta with an average of 40 days for each generation and it was affected by extremely high temperatures and low humidity conditions.