Coexistence of the vegetable leafminer, Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae), with L. trifolii and L. bryoniae on commercially grown tomato plants

The species composition of Liriomyza leafminers infesting commercially grown tomato plants was surveyed in two contiguous greenhouses in Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture, from August to December 1999. Full-grown larvae and puparia of Liriomyza were collected weekly from the greenhouses, and reared to adult emergence in the laboratory. The male adult flies that emerged were identified on the basis of the shape of their genitalia. The results revealed the occurrence of L. sativae, which has not been recorded in Japan. L. sativae coexisted with L. trifolii and L. bryoniae in one tomato greenhouse and with L. bryoniae in the other. Further, the relative abundance of the three species changed throughout the growing season of tomato plants and the peaks of each species population differed.