This project will be conducting host-specificity testing of a key biological control agent of south american tomato pinworm

This $117,047 cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) will support host-specificity testing of the biological control agent Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris. This parasitic wasp is being evaluated as a potential long-term control option for the South American tomato pinworm, an invasive pest that poses a significant threat to tomato production in the United States. The project will import the parasitoid from Spain to the USDA ARS quarantine facility in California to assess its impacts on non-target Lepidoptera species in the southwestern U.S. This work aims to develop sustainable pest management strategies to mitigate the economic damages that could result from the South American tomato pinworm establishing in the U.S., the fourth-largest tomato producer globally.

Over the past decade, the south american tomato pinworm has invaded parts of europe, africa, and asia, causing severe annual economic crop losses. Models predict that this pest will eventually establish in the U.S., the fourth-largest producer of tomatoes in the world with almost all this production being located in california. The arrival of the south american tomato pinworm in the U.S. Would increase pest control costs, disrupt trade, and major economic losses could result from delays in finding effective long-term control options. The efficacy of insecticide-based strategies targeting p. Absoluta remains limited, indicating that sustainable pest management needs to be strengthened. Fortunately, classical biological control for p. Absoluta is already being implemented in spain and kenya using its CO-evolved natural enemy from south america, dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris (marsh) (hymenoptera: braconidae). This natural enemy can attack all larval instars and reach parasitism rates greater than 70% in the field. The parasitoid d. Gelechiidivoris will be imported from spain to the USDA ARS quarantine facility in albany, california, to evaluate its host-specificity on no n-target lepidoptera occurring in the southwestern united states.