Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333716

Research Project: Systematics of Flies of Importance in Agroecosystems and the Environment

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: The invasive Liriomyza huidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae): Understanding its pest status and management globally

Author
item WEINTRAUB, PHILLIS - Agricultural Research Organization Of Israel
item Scheffer, Sonja
item VISSER, DIEDRICH - University Of South Africa
item VALLADARES, GRACIELA - Argentine Museum Of Natural Sciences Bernardino Rivadavia
item SOARES, CORREA - University Of Brazil
item SHEPARD, B. - Clemson University
item RAUF, AUNU - Bogor Agricultural University
item MURPHY, SEAN - Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International (CABI)
item MUJICA, NORMA - International Potato Center
item MAC VEAN, CHARLES - Pennsylvania University
item KROSCHEL, JURGEN - International Crops Research Institute For The Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
item KISHINEVSKY, MIRIAM - University Of Haifa
item JOSHI, RAVINDRA - University Of The Philippines
item JOHANSEN, NINA - Norwegian Institute Of Bioeconomy Research(NIBIO)
item HALLETTE, REBECCA - University Of Guelph
item CIVELEK, HASAN - Anatolian Agriculture Research Institute
item CHEN, BING - Chinese Academy Of Sciences

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2016
Publication Date: 2/28/2017
Citation: Weintraub, P.G., Scheffer, S.J., Visser, D., Valladares, G., Soares, C.A., Shepard, B.M., Rauf, A., Murphy, S.T., Mujica, N., Mac Vean, C., Kroschel, J., Kishinevsky, M., Joshi, R.C., Johansen, N.S., Hallette, R., Civelek, H.S., Chen, B. 2017. The invasive Liriomyza huidobrensis (Diptera: Agromyzidae): Understanding its pest status and management globally. Journal of Insect Science. 28:1-27.

Interpretive Summary: The invasive leafminer Liriomyza huidobrensis is a pest insect that feeds on more than 150 vegetable and flower crops, including potatoes, beans, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, and chrysanthemum, causing millions of dollars in crop losses globally. Although native to South America, this leafminer is highly invasive and has spread to Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, and the Middle East. Here we report on the history, biology and pest status of this leafminer and its global invasions. This research is expected to be of interest to quarantine officials, pest managers, and scientists involved in efforts to manage and contain this destructive pest.

Technical Abstract: Liriomyza huidobrensis is native to South America but has expanded its range and invaded many regions of the world, primarily on flowers and to a lesser extent on horticultural product shipments. As a result of initial invasion into an area, damage caused was usually significant but not necessarily sustained. Currently it is an economic pest in selected native and invaded regions of the world. Adults cause damage by puncturing abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces for feeding and egg laying sites. Larvae mine the leaf parenchyma tissues which can lead to leaves drying and wilting. We have recorded more than 350 host plant species from 48 families and more than 106 parasitoid species. In a subset of the Argentinian data, we found that parasitoid community composition attacking L. huidobrensis, differ in cultivated and uncultivated plants. No such effect was found at the world level, probably due to differences in collection methods in the different references. We review the current pest status and management strategies, and discuss the potential for further regional invasions or expansions on the basis of climate change modeling.