| Keiferia lycopersicella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Gelechiidae |
| Genus: | Keiferia |
| Species: | K. lycopersicella |
| Binomial name | |
| Keiferia lycopersicella (Walsingham, 1897) |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Tomato Pinworm (Keiferia lycopersicella) is a moth of the Gelechiidae family. It is found in warm areas in Mexico, California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas. It has also been reported from greenhouses in Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
The wingspan is 9-12 mm. There are seven to eight generations per year.
The larvae feed on Solanaceae species, including Lycopersicon esculentum, Solanum melongena, Solanum tuberosum, Solanum carolinense, Solanum xanthii, Solanum umbelliferum and Solanum bahamese. Young larvae use silk to spin a tent. Under the cover of this tent they create a tunnel into a leaf of their host. Continued feeding results in a blotch-like mine which can usually be found on that same leaf. The third and fourth larval instars feed from within tied leaves or folded portions of a leaf. They may also enter stems or fruits.