The New York Times recently published an article about Tuta absoluta, the tomato leafminer, an invasive moth from Chile that has been a huge pest of tomatos since being introduced to Spain in 2006, where it has since spread to Asia and Africa. It was interesting to read about what made the pest so successful. According to the article, part of their success is due to “their high reproductive capacity” as well as their small size (~1cm), which allows them to be spread by the wind.

Larva of the tomato leafminer

One thing that is interesting is how they were able to spread from only a single introductory population, rather than requiring multiple introductions. It also interesting to note how long it took for them to be spread from their home range: perhaps this is because exportation of tomatoes from Chile is rare, the species has been introduced before, good invasive species protocols, or other reasons.

Also interesting is the multi-pronged approach to handling the pest. One aspect of it is “introduction of the pest’s natural enemies,” which includes other insects as well. Not all insects are therefore pests, and in fact can be helpful in controlling those that are.

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