Abstract: 【Aim】 The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, is a destructive pest on solanaceous crops. This study aims to clarify the feeding capacity, intraspecific competition and growth and development of T. absoluta, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the effective control of T. absoluta. 【Methods】 The feeding capacity (food consumption), intraspecific competition (intensity of scramble competition), growth, development and reproductive parameters (developmental duration, adult longevity, female to male sex ratio, number of eggs laid per female and survival rate) and population parameters (intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, net reproductive rate and mean generation time) of T. absoluta were determined under laboratory conditions based on functional response equation, intraspecific interference model and two-sex life table. 【Results】 The functional responses of the 3rd and 4th instar larvae of T. absoluta fed on tomato leaves fitted to the Holling Ⅱ model, and their searching efficiencies to tomato leaves were 0.448 and 0.363, their handling time to tomato leaves was 0.016 and 0.008 d, and the daily maximum food consumption was 55.56 and 166.67 mg, respectively. Under the conditions of the given amount of diet, there was strong intraspecific competition between the 3rd and 4th instar larvae of T. absoluta, and the intensity of scramble competition of the 3rd instar larva was stronger than that of the 4th instar larva. The population parameters of T. absoluta analyzed by the two-sex life table showed that the intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, net reproductive rate and mean generation time of T. absoluta fed on tomato leaves were 0.09 d-1, 1.09 d-1, 19.80 and 32.92 d, respectively. 【Conclusion】 The 4th instar larva of T. absoluta has strong feeding capacity, and its generational reproduction speed is fast, causing serious harm to tomato crops. The research on the feeding capacity and growth and development of T. absoluta larva has important guiding significance for its control.

Key words: Tuta absoluta, functional response, intraspecific competition, feeding capacity; growth and development, two-sex life table