Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick, 1917

Pest of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and other Solanaceae, such as potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The moths come to the light and hide during the day. The female lays about 250 eggs on the underside of leaves or stems. The larva mines the leaf, flower, stem, or fruit of its host and goes through four instars before pupation. The whole life cycle takes 30-40 days depending on the temperature conditions. There may be up to 12 generations per year.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Lepidoptera

Superfamily
Gelechioidea

Family
Gelechiidae

Genus
Phthorimaea

Species
absoluta

Taxon category: Accepted

Fide (2010). Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) Syn.: Scrobipalpula absoluta (Meyrick), fide Landry & Roque-Albelo (2010). Syn.: Scrobipalpuloides absoluta (Meyrick), fide Landry & Roque-Albelo (2010). Syn.: Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), fide Landry & Roque-Albelo (2010).

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 2006

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Contaminant

Subpathway: Food contaminant

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: No data

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Fernandina, Isabela y San Cristóbal (Roque, 2006; Landry, & Roque-Albelo, 2010).

References

  • Cañarte-Bermúdez, E. Peñaherrera-Colina, L., Navia-Santillan, D., Vera-Coello, D., Macas-Guaman, L., Paz-Carrasco, L., Duchicela-Escobar, J., Garces-Carrera, S. (2020) Catálogo de organismos asociados a especies agrícolas en la provincia de Galápagos INIAP-MAG-ABG. Quito, Ecuador 202 p.
  • Causton, C.E. Peck, S. B., Sinclair, B. J., Roque-Albelo, L., Hodgson, C. J. & B. Landry. (2006) Alien insects: threats and implications for the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 99(1), 121-143.
  • Landry, B. Roque-Albelo, L. (2010) The Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, a taxonomic revision. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 117(4): 697-770.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Phthorimaea absoluta", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=16363. Accessed 1 November 2026.