Releasing natural enemies and applying microbial and botanical pesticides for managing Tuta absoluta in the MENA region

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a key insect pest, seriously damaging tomato crops and inducing tremendous yield and economic losses. The area of origin of this insect is in South America, while it has recently become an invasive pest in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there has been growing evidence that biological control through field releases of egg parasitoids and predatory mirids generally induces promising control results of T. absoluta whenever the natural enemy species as well as the timing and release rates are suitably chosen. As such, application of botanical and/or microbial pesticides represent a potential control approach to be adopted against T. absoluta. This would decrease the detrimental side effects on non-target beneficial arthropods typically exhibited by hazardous chemical insecticide applications. The scientific literature emphasizing the (i) releases of parasitoids and/or predators, (ii) applications of biopesticides, and (iii) combination « release of parasitoid and/or predator + biopesticide treatments and/or other biorational tools», as sustainable control options of T. absoluta throughout the MENA region over the last decade, is comprehensively reviewed and unraveled herein.