Not known to transmit any human or animal pathogens.

Not known to vector any pathogens or other associated organisms but damage may lead to invasion by secondary pests.

Trap color is up to the state and does not affect trap efficacy.

Attaching lures to traps

IMPORTANT: Do not include lures for other target species in the trap when surveying for this target.

Note:Visual surveys are not an approved method and cannot be used to report negative data, but we are including some visual guidance to help surveyors observe signs of infestation on the plants. At the fruiting stage, signs of infestation include larval entry or exit holes. Larval entry holes are tiny but often leave yellowish halos on the fruit, while the exit holes are larger and conspicuous. Other signs of the borer include droppings outside of fruit and pupae rolled up in plant leaves. See the Pest Datasheet for images of infested fruit and pupae.

The survey should start before flowering and continue until the growing season is over because the number of generations varies based on weather and host availability.

Trapping Survey:   Place the traps at the edges of crop fields. Traps should be hung from poles, with the base of the trap just above the height of the plant. Trap height may need to be adjusted to match to the height and development of the plant. Note: To complete a survey for this pest, you must perform a trapping survey. Visual surveys are optional, are not an approved method, and cannot be used to report negative data. Some visual survey methods are included below to help surveyors who wish to look for larvae, pupae, or signs of infestation on the plants. Visual Survey:   To search for larvae, inspect fruits for conspicuous entry or exit holes. Suspected infested fruits can be cut and inspected for feeding tunnels and the presence of larvae. Because these methods may damage produce, obtain permission from landowners or growers before attempting. See the CAPS Datasheet for more images of infested fruit and pupae.

Tomato fields should be the focus of the survey, but eggplant and pepper fields can also be surveyed. If commercial fields are close to packing houses or other host storage facilities, they might be prioritized over other fields as they are higher risk. In addition, traps can be placed near processors and vendors with hosts on site.

The Microlepidoptera on Solanaceae tool is a comprehensive online resource that is useful for identifying this moth. A screening aid for tomato fruit borers is available: Neoleucinodes spp.  Capps (1948) and Diaz and Solis (2007) published drawings and pictures of genitalia that can help distinguish N. elegantalis from similar species.

Neoleucinodes elegantalis is similar to three species of Neoleucinodes: N. prophetica, N. silvaniae, and N. torvis. See the CAPS Datasheet for images.

Neoleucinodes prophetica (potato tree borer) and N. torvis (turkeyberry borer) are present in the United States and have been reported from southern Florida in wild solanaceous hosts. N. prophetica is similar to N. elegantalis in size and wing patterns. Neoleucinoides torvis is much smaller, has less black scaling on the wings and the orange spot in the front wing is oblique rather than triangular shaped as in the other species (See Fig. 6 in the CAPS datasheet). Both similar species can be differentiated from N. elegantalis using the genitalia.

Neoleucinodes silvaniae is not known to occur in the United States. It has only been reported from Colombia, infesting Solanum lanceifolium. It looks almost identical to Neoleucinodes elegantalis, having very similar wing patterns and size, with N. elegantalis being slightly larger. External characters and descriptions of genitalia are provided in Diaz and Solis, 2007 (see References below).

A closely related species, Leucinodes orbonalis (eggplant fruit borer) is also very similar in appearance to N. elegantalis. Leucinodes orbonalis has been reported in Africa and Asia and is not known to occur in the United States. This moth can be differentiated from N. elegantalis by examining their genitalia, wing venation, and other characteristics. Leucinodes orbonalis also prefers eggplant rather than tomato. 

The larvae of Phthorimaea absoluta (tomato leafminer) also feed inside tomato fruit and can be pink in color, similar to that of N. elegantalis larvae. Phthorimaea absoluta is not known to occur in the United States.