LAUSR

Abstract The potato tuber moth (PTM) is an oligophagous herbivore and a severe pest of solanaceous crops in many countries of the world. Previously, we reported host expansion and damage potential of PTM on tomato, a congeneric crop of potato. Here we tested adult olfactory behaviour of PTM to leaves of five different cultivated tomato varieties including Moneymaker, Campari, Ailsa craig, LA3475 and E6203, and one wild species, Solanum pimpinellifolium. Tomato leaf hydro-distilled oils of Moneymaker, Campari, Ailsa craig, S. pimpinellifolium and E6203 showed strong attractiveness and LA3475 exhibited repulsiveness for adult PTM of both sexes in two-armed bioassays. Volatiles of Moneymaker, Campari, Ailsa Craig, S. pimpinellifolium and E6203 showed attractiveness for mated adult PTM of both sexes (> 70%). The extracted oil of all tomato leaves contains monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and C6 alcohols as well as other components. Phytol is one of the common and major compounds in all tomato varieties. Phytol showed weak attractiveness: 60.8–63.6% and 57.6–60.6% for male and female PTM, respectively when tested at concentrations of 0.1–10 mg/mL. Therefore, the attractiveness of tomato leaf volatiles might be due to synergistic effects of plant volatile mixtures. Identification PTM attractant volatile in tomato leaf is important in its control in environmentally friendly manner.