The role of black nightshade in population development of tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici)

Authors: SYBILSKA, ANNA - Warsaw University Of Life Sciences; SIMONI, SAURO - Council For Agricultural Research And Economics; WOJCIK-GRONT, ELZBIETA - Warsaw University Of Life Sciences; Rector, Brian; LEWANDOWSKI, MARIUSZ - Warsaw University Of Life Sciences

Submitted to: Journal of Pest Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2025
Publication Date: 7/7/2025
Citation: Sybilska, A., Simoni, S., Wojcik-Gront, E., Rector, B.G., Lewandowski, M. 2025. The role of black nightshade in population development of tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici). Journal of Pest Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-025-01942-x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-025-01942-x

Interpretive Summary: Some pest species are highly specific to their host plants while others have very broad host ranges that include many unrelated plant species. This study investigated the host range of the tomato russet mite (TRM), an important tomato pest. It was found that black nightshade, a weedy relative of tomato, is equally suitable as a host of TRM as tomato is. In addition, other less closely related weeds, including field bindweed, were able to support populations of TRM. These results suggest that control of weedy alternative hosts of TRM in tomato production fields should improve management of TRM by preventing TRM from maintaining high field populations on these “green bridge” plants between tomato crops. The results also highlight the importance of conducting tests on the same crop varieties and using the same mite populations when comparing host range of eriophyid mites on primary and secondary host plant species.

Technical Abstract: The tomato russet mite (TRM), Aculops lycopersici (Tyron), is a significant pest of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), with a reported ability to infest various solanaceous plants and some species outside this family. This study investigated the role of black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), a globally widespread weed, as an alternative host for TRM and its implications for pest dynamics. The development time, survival rate, and reproductive parameters of TRM were compared between tomato and black nightshade. While TRM developed more rapidly and exhibited higher survival rates on tomato, black nightshade supported higher fecundity and a greater proportion of female offspring. These findings suggest that black nightshade can act as a viable host of TRM. Further experiments evaluated the adaptability of TRM populations to switch between tomato and black nightshade. No significant fitness costs were observed when populations were transferred between these hosts, indicating high adaptability. Additionally, we assessed the colonization potential of TRM on hosts in three different plant families, including pepper, field bindweed, petunia, tobacco, and white goosefoot. Among these, only black nightshade and field bindweed supported population growth rates comparable to tomato, while white goosefoot proved unsuitable for long-term population development. The results highlight the importance of black nightshade as a reservoir host for TRM, potentially serving as a "green bridge" that facilitates pest survival during tomato crop absences. These findings highlight the need for TRM management strategies to include effective weed control to disrupt the pest's lifecycle and reduce its economic impact on tomato cultivation.