Development of an on-site diagnostic LAMP assay for rapid differentiation of the invasive pest Phthorimaea absoluta (Meyrick) using insect tissues.

BACKGROUND: The tomato leafminer, Phthorimaea absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a destructive invasive pest that originated in South America and has spread within China since 2017. A rapid method for on-site identification of P. absoluta is urgently needed for interception of this pest across China.

RESULTS: We developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique to differentiate P. absoluta from L. sativae, C. horticola, and P. operculella using extracted genomic DNA, which was then refined to create an on-site LAMP diagnostic method that can be performed under field conditions without the need for laboratory equipment.

CONCLUSION: In the present research, we developed an on-site diagnostic method for rapid differentiation of P. absoluta from other insects with similar morphology or damage characteristics in China. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.