Host plant selection is linked to performance in Phthorimaea absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

This article focuses on testing the preference-performance hypothesis in the invasive oligophagous insect Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a pest affecting Solanaceae crops across Asia, Africa, and Europe. Through no-choice, dual-choice, and multiple-choice oviposition assays on six Solanaceae species (tomato, potato, eggplant, black nightshade, sweet pepper, and tobacco), the study found that adult females strongly preferred tomato for egg-laying, regardless of their natal host. Life-table analyses demonstrated that immature performance parameters—including survival, developmental duration, fecundity, and population growth rates—were superior on tomato, with a significant positive correlation between oviposition preference and these performance metrics. The findings support the preference-performance hypothesis in P. absoluta and highlight the importance of region-specific oviposition behavior studies to inform integrated pest management strategies.