Abstract: 【Aim】 The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, is a devastating invasive alien pest worldwide, causing severe damage to global tomato industry. In this study, the effects of temperature on the growth, development and reproduction of T. absoluta were studied in order to provide the basic information for prediction of its potential distribution and population dynamics in newly invaded areas. 【Methods】 The developmental duration, survival rate and population growth parameters of T. absoluta on tomato leaves under laboratory conditions were investigated, and the lower temperature threshold, upper temperature threshold, optimum temperature, effective accumulative temperature and occurrence generation were determined by using models based on developmental rates or population growth parameters. 【Results】 Within the constant temperatures ranging from 15 to 30℃, the duration of different developmental stages of T. absoluta shortened as the temperature rose. At 25℃, the survival rate at the larval and entire immature stages, the total fecundity, the net reproductive rate, the intrinsic rate of natural increase and the finite rate of increase were all the greatest. At 35℃, the survival rate of eggs decreased sharply to 11%, and the larvae could not finish development. The effective accumulative temperatures of egg, larval, pupal, entire immature stages and the whole generation were 104.17, 232.59, 129.87, 434.78 and 526.32 degree-days, respectively. T. absoluta could have four to five generations per year in Yining County and Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County, Xinjiang. Thermal requirement parameters estimated by the model based on the relationship between the developmental rate and temperature showed different results from those by the model based on the relationship between the intrinsic rate of natural increase and temperature. The lower temperature threshold, upper temperature threshold and optimum temperature based on the intrinsic rate of natural increase were 12.46, 30.40 and 27.36℃, respectively. 【Conclusion】 The range of adaptive temperature for the invasive T. absoluta population in Xinjiang is wide, suggesting that it has a high diffusion threat to most parts of China.

Key words: Tuta absoluta, temperature, growth and development, population growth parameter, thermal requirement