tuta absoluta

As international trade and human mobility increase, so does the spread of invasive and destructive agricultural pests, worsened by climate change and the intensive agricultural practices occurring globally. If left unmitigated, invasive pest infestation can threaten food production, and at worst, destabilize our global food supply. As part of a project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), researchers from the University of Virginia’s Biocomplexity Institute are focusing their attention on one pest in particular – the South American tomato leafminer or Tuta absoluta