Tomato pinworm moth

Keiferia lycopersicella

1. Identification

• Common name: Tomato pinworm
• Scientific name: Keiferia lycopersicella Walsingham
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Gelechiidae

2. Pest description

• Small caterpillars, greenish to yellowish, which form galleries in the leaves and perforations in the fruits.
• Very small adults, greyish, with narrow wings and discreet patterning.
• Attacks mainly tomato, both in the field and in the greenhouse.
• Species with high multiplication capacity in warm climates.

3. Main hosts

• Tomato.
• Potato.
• Other cultivated and spontaneous solanaceous plants.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Winding galleries in the leaves.
• Perforations in the fruits, with residues and excrement.
• Premature drop of young fruits.
• Reduction of commercial quality and increased risk of rots.
• Damage similar to that caused by Tuta absoluta, but generally less extensive.

5. Biological cycle

• Several generations per year in warm climate.
• Eggs laid on the lower side of the leaves.
• Caterpillars penetrate the tissues quickly, forming galleries.
• Pupation on the plant, in the soil or among debris.
• Adults active during much of the year in subtropical regions.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of galleries in the leaves and perforations in the fruits.
• Regular inspection of young plants and green fruits.
• Pheromone traps for detection of flights.
• Assessment of the percentage of affected plants and fruits.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: removal of crop residues, destruction of infested plants and control of spontaneous solanaceous plants.
• Preventive: use of insect‑proof nets and adequate ventilation in greenhouses.
• Biological: application of Bacillus thuringiensis on young caterpillars and conservation of natural parasitoids.
• Integrated protection: regular monitoring, intervention thresholds and judicious application of authorised insecticides.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Keiferia lycopersicella.
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Keiferia lycopersicella.
• Schuster, D. J., et al. (1991). Biology and management of Keiferia lycopersicella in tomato. Journal of Economic Entomology, 84, 850–856.
• Riley, D. G., et al. (2019). Pests of tomato in subtropical regions. Florida Entomologist, 102, 234–245.
• Capinera, J. L. (2001). Handbook of Vegetable Pests. Academic Press.
• Seal, D. R., et al. (2013). Management of gelechiid moths in solanaceous crops. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 4, 1–10.