* e-mail: vili.harizanova@gmail.com Abstract. The tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Povolny) is the most damaging pest of tomatoes in South America. In 2006 the pest was introduced by accident in Spain and since then it has invaded many countries in South Europe and the Mediterranean region. In 2009 there were official reports for new invasions from Greece, Switzerland, Malta, Portugal, Albania, France, Italy, Libya and countries from the Gulf region – Bahrain and Kuwait. In Bulgaria the National Service of Plant Protection (NSPP) undertook a national survey for the detection of the tomato leaf miner using pheromone traps. On 16 October 2009 an official statement was published on the website of NSPP for the presence of the tomato leaf miner in several glasshouses and in the field in South Bulgaria. At a glasshouse with tomatoes near Plovdiv we observed a severe infestation by the pest which has rapidly spread after the last treatment with pesticides at the end of August. The leaves were the most heavily damaged plant parts with an average of 9.42 and 8.75 mines per leaflet on the middle and upper layer of the canopy resp., followed by the fruits. No damage on the stems was observed. Description of the pest stages, behavior, monitoring, prevention and control of the pest are discussed. Keywords: Leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, tomato, glasshouse, damage, behavior (Manuscript received 16 October 2009; accepted for publication 30 October 2009) Introduction Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya. In Bahrain and Kuwait in July Host plants 2009 the presence of the pest has been confirmed in glasshouses. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is the main host plant of T. Both countries have been importing vegetables also from Spain and absoluta, which attacks its leaves, buds, stems and fruit. It also Morocco. In the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Russia the pest attacks other members of the Solanaceae family like potato has been found in packing stations on tomatoes imported from (Solanum tuberosum), eggplant (Solanum melongena), weeds Spain. (Datura stramonium, Lycium chilense, Solanum nigrum and In 2009 the National Service of Plant Protection of Bulgaria has Nicotiana glauca). Recently there was a report from the National initiated a national survey for early detection of the tomato leaf miner Organization of Plant Protection of Italy to the Secretariat of EPPO in greenhouses, growing tomatoes and storages by application of that Tuta absoluta was found also on beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), in pheromone traps. Quarantine inspectors from the Regional Service Sicily. It creates concerns about the possibility the pest to attack of Plant Protection in Plovdiv collected samples of damaged leaves also artichoke. and adult moths from a tomato growing glasshouse in the vicinity of Origin and geographical distribution. Plovdiv and after identification, the Central lab of Plant Quarantine The tomato leaf miner T. absoluta belongs to the family confirmed the identity of the pest as T. absoluta. The initial invasion Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera). It is also known as South American most probably started from a storage house in the immediate vicinity tomato moth, tomato borer, South American tomato pinworm. The of the glasshouse in which fruits and vegetables imported from species originates from South America and was first mentioned in Spain were stored. The pest invaded the glasshouse during the Argentina in 1964 (Garcia & Espul, 1982) where it was introduced summer months but due to the behavior of the adults which are from Chile. The species is common in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, nocturnal insects and during the day are hiding under the leaves, it Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuella, but only in regions was not noticed until the damages on the leaves appeared. At the with altitudes less than 1000 m as low temperature is a limiting factor same time the Regional Service of Plant Protection has already for its survival (Notz, 1992). circled an information about the pest to the producers of tomatoes. In 2004, when the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Pоvolny, The pest was found also in the region of Rakovski, Pazardjik, and 1994) was alien for Europe it was categorized by EPPO in A1 action Sofia (NSPP, 2009). list as no. 321 (OEPP/EPPO Bulletin, 2005) as recommended for The seriousness of the damage and the fact that the pest is new regulation as quarantine pest. The first record in Europe is from the for Bulgaria provoked the decision to make initial observations on end of 2006 on tomatoes in the province Castellón (Comunidad the morphology, behavior and damage, and to present the Valenciana) in Spain (FERA, 2009). In less than three years the pest experience of other countries in its control. has been recorded in Portugal, Italy, France, Malta, Switzerland, Greece, Albania, as in some countries in the Mediterranean region - AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 1, No 3, pp 95 - 98, 2009 95 Tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Povolny) (Lepidoptera: gelechiidae) – first record in Bulgaria V. Harizanova*, A. Stoeva, M. Mohamedova Agricultural University, Plovdiv, 12 Mendeleev, Plovdiv, 4000, Bulgaria