Abstract

Phthorimaea absoluta (=Tuta absoluta) (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), an invasive pest native to South America, poses a severe threat to solanaceous crops, particularly tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Other researchers have often attempted to claim P. absoluta as a polyphagous pest and expanded its host plant list based on unverified observations without evaluating whether the plant could support the completion of the life cycle. Such an approach has led to the inclusion of numerous non-Solanaceae families as hosts, creating ambiguity about the pest’s true host range. To address this issue, we reviewed published articles and extracted host plant records from 63 species across the Solanaceae and non-Solanaceae families. Host plants were assessed for their suitability to support complete, partial, or no life cycle of P. absoluta. Our findings revealed that only a specific subset of host plants, predominantly within the Solanaceae, support the complete life cycle of this pest, defining its true host range as an oligophagous herbivore. In contrast, other recorded host plants permit only partial development or fail to sustain larval survival. A notable finding is the mismatch between female oviposition preferences and larval development, resulting in variability in host plant usage across genera such as Nicotiana and Datura and even within Solanum. These discrepancies may stem from geographic, chemical, and ecological factors. Inconsistent methodologies and limited data pose significant challenges to clarifying the pest’s true host range. This review highlights the need for life cycle data to clarify the host range of P. absoluta. By addressing these gaps, this study advances host specialization theories and supports future research on invasive pests.