**1. Introduction**

Biological invasion has occurred for millennia, but increased globalization in recent decades has accelerated it [1]. Invasive insect species reduce crop yield, increase cost of production especially pest control costs, increase reliance on pesticides, and disrupt preexisting integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Invasive insect species cause considerable damage to agriculture, horticulture, and forest industries worldwide [2, 3] with an estimated annual economic loss of about 70 billion US\$ [4]. Transportation and international trade are increasing rapidly, thus facilitating the spread and dispersal of invasive species [5]. The tomato (*Solanum lycopersicum* L.) is an important horticultural vegetable crop that is only second to potato. The total world production of tomato is about 180 million tons grown in areas of approximately 4 M ha. The top 10 tomato-producing countries in the world are China, India, USA, Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Iran, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. China, India, and Turkey, account for almost half of the land area covered worldwide with tomato crops, that is, 31, 11, and 7%, respectively [6]. Tomato is the sixth most valuable cultivated crop in the world worth US\$ 87.9 billion in 2016. The tomato leaf miner *Tuta absoluta* (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is threatening about 87% of this production worldwide [3, 6, 7]. *T. absoluta* has several

common English names in the literature. These are the South American tomato pinworm, the South American tomato leaf miner, the South American tomato moth, the tomato pinworm, the tomato borer, and the tomato leaf miner. For consistency, the tomato leaf miner (TLM) will be used throughout this chapter. The TLM has been considered as a key pest of tomato, in recent years, causing a reduction in tomato yield that can reach 100% if no management action is taken [1]. Increasing of global trade of tomato in the absence of strict quarantine measures and proper surveillance in many tomato-producing countries are the reason behind the vast spread of this pest.

Due to the significance of TLM, the Journal of Pest Science has recently published a special issue on this pest, which was edited by Biondi and Desneux [5]. The special issue gave more consolidated and updated information on the moth biology, population dynamics, chemical and trophic ecology, and novel control technologies. This chapter gives concise information on *T. absoluta* biology and bionomics, economic significance, geographical distribution, invasive potential, natural enemies, and available management options.
