Tomato leafminer – Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) – current status in Montenegro Snjez ˇana Hrnc ˇic ´ and Sanja Radonjic ´ Biotechnical Faculty, Department for Plant Protection, University of Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro; e-mail: sanja_radonjic@t-com.me Tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta was detected for the first time in Montenegro using phero- mone traps in the middle of July 2010, in greenhouses in one location at the Montenegrin sea coast. In the period from the end of July to the first week of August, moths were cap- tured in pheromone traps from other locations along the sea coast and surroundings of the city of Podgorica. According to the survey carried out by the authors from July to Septem- ber 2010, T. absoluta was present in greenhouses in all tomato-producing areas, while out- doors it was found only in the coastal area. Monitoring of T. absoluta continued in 2011. Pheromone traps were set up in five locations in the main tomato-producing areas, both in greenhouses and outdoors, between 4 and 15 May. The first captured moths were detected after 7–15 days in all inspected locations, and captures continued until the end of Septem- ber. According to the number of captured moths and the damage observed, it can be con- cluded that the population level in 2011 was lower in comparison with 2010, when up to 100% losses were detected in tomato crops in several locations. In 2011, tomato producers were already being informed about the pest and means of control, so most of them applied cultural and chemical control measures. Introduction Tuta absoluta originated from South America, and was first detected in Europe (Spain) in 2006 (OEPP/EPPO, 2008). Recently, it has been considered a serious threat to tomato production in the whole of the Mediterranean region (www. tutaabsoluta.com). Tuta absoluta is the main pest of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and also occurs on aubergine (Solanum melongena), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and other cultivated plants including common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (OEPP/EPPO, 2009b), as well on weeds of the family Solanaceae (Solanum nigrum L., Datura spp.). Tomato plants can be infested from seedlings to mature plants. After hatching, young larvae penetrate tomato fruits, leaves or stems, on which they feed and develop, creating conspicuous mines and galleries. Both yield and fruit qual- ity can be significantly reduced by direct feeding of the pest and by secondary pathogens that may enter through wounds made by the pest. Severely attacked tomato fruits lose their commercial value (OEPP/EPPO, 2005). Materials and methods Pheromone traps of the brand Csalomon ® (Budapest, Hungary) were set up in five locations both inside green- houses and outdoors, between 4 and 15 May 2011. Moni- toring included main tomato-producing areas where tomato is typically grown in greenhouses, and to a lesser extent outdoors (Fig. 1). The study covered the southern part of Montenegro: the coastal region along the Adriatic Sea and Zeta-Bjelopavlic ´i region. Within the coastal region of the Adriatic sea three locations were observed (Bar, Ulcinj and Herceg Novi-sites Radanovic ´i and Sutorina). In Zeta- Bjelopavlic ´i region two locations were observed (Danilovgrad and Podgorica-sites Beri and Zeta). Pheromone traps were checked at intervals of 7–15 days. One trap was set up for each greenhouse and also outdoors. Of the five locations inspected, four were tomato fruit- producing and one was a nursery (Danilovgrad). In Podgo- rica and Ulcinj, traps were set up both inside greenhouses and outdoors, while in Bar, Herceg Novi and Danilovgrad they were in greenhouses. Results and discussion Monitoring records of T. absoluta from four tomato fruit- producing locations are presented in Figs 2–5. In Danilov- grad, the total number of moths captured was 19 during the whole survey period (mid-May to beginning of July) with- out any symptoms of attack. Data from Ulcinj showed that number of captured moths were higher outdoors (during first and second production) than inside the greenhouse (Fig. 2), although damage to leaves and fruits was more severe in greenhouses than out- doors. This could be explained by the fact that the producer additionally used light traps in greenhouses (Fig. 6): four were randomly set up 2 weeks after the pheromone trap. Light traps were found to be more attractive than phero- mone traps, indicated by the high number of captured moths removed from the traps daily by the producer. In Podgorica, where pheromone traps were set up both in greenhouses and outside (as in Ulcinj), higher numbers of ª 2012 The Authors. Journal compilation ª 2012 OEPP/EPPO, EPPO Bulletin 42, 341–343 341 Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin (2012) 42 (2), 341–343 ISSN 0250-8052. DOI: 10.1111/epp.2582