Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has become a serious menace to sustainable production of tomato in Kenya. A survey was conducted between April 2015 and June 2016 to determine its distribution, abundance, infestation, and damage levels on tomato, and associated natural enemies. Trap counts of T. absoluta moths were recorded in all surveyed 29 counties, which indicated its nationwide distribution irrespective of altitude. Tuta absoluta was present in both open fields and greenhouses. The highest moth/trap/day was 115.38 ± 15.90. Highest leaf infestation was 92.22% and the highest number of mines and larvae per leaf were 3.71 ± 0.28 and 2.16 ± 0.45, respectively. Trap captures in terms of moth/trap/day were linearly and positively related to leaf infestations in open fields (R2 = 0.81) and greenhouses (R2 = 0.61). Highest fruits’ infestation and damage were 60.00 and 59.61%, respectively, while the highest number of mines per fruit was 7.50 ± 0.50. Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) and Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) were identified as predators of T. absoluta larvae. Nine species of larval parasitoids were recovered from infested foliage, with a combined parasitism of 7.26 ± 0.65%. Hockeria species was the most dominant (31.25%) and accounted for 12.88 ± 1.47% parasitism. Two species of larval parasitoids, Hockeria and Necremnus were obtained from sentinel plants with an average parasitism of 1.13 ± 0.25. The overall abundance and parasitism rates of recovered natural enemies were low to effectively control the field populations of T. absoluta. These findings form the basis of researching and developing effective and sustainable management strategies for the pest.

中文翻译：

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肯尼亚入侵番茄潜叶蝇 Tuta Absoluta (Meyrick) 的分布、丰度和天敌


绝对图塔（梅里克）已成为肯尼亚番茄可持续生产的严重威胁。 2015 年 4 月至 2016 年 6 月期间进行了一项调查，以确定其分布、丰度、侵染以及对番茄和相关天敌的损害程度。陷阱数量绝对红豆杉调查的 29 个县均记录有蛾类，这表明其分布在全国范围内，与海拔高度无关。绝对图塔存在于露天田地和温室中。最高飞蛾/陷阱/天为 115.38 ± 15.90。叶片侵染率最高为 92.22%，每片叶片的地雷和幼虫数量最高分别为 3.71 ± 0.28 和 2.16 ± 0.45。以蛾/诱捕器/天计算的诱捕器捕获量与开阔田地中的叶子侵染呈线性正相关（右2 = 0.81) 和温室 (右2 = 0.61）。果实受侵染率和受害率最高分别为60.00%和59.61%，每个果实的地雷数量最高为7.50±0.50个。细线藻（路透社）和侏儒疣猴（Rambur）被确定为掠食者绝对红豆杉幼虫。从受侵染的叶子中回收了 9 种幼虫寄生蜂，其综合寄生率为 7.26 ± 0.65%。霍克里亚物种是最主要的（31.25％），占寄生的12.88±1.47％。两种幼虫寄生蜂，霍克里亚和死神是从平均寄生度为 1.13 ± 0.25 的哨兵植物中获得的。 回收天敌总体丰度和寄生率较低，有效控制了田间种群绝对红豆杉。这些发现构成了研究和开发有效且可持续的害虫管理策略的基础。