Eggs and caterpillars of the Heliothis virescens (Fabricius, 1781) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were found in tomato fruits of cv. Santa Clara, in a plantation located in Alegre, Espirito Santo State, Brazil. The attack caused damage in 10% of fruits characterized by different perforation sizes in the pulp of the fruits with diameters of two or more centimeters, depending on the state of development of the caterpillars. Eggs were collected, taken to the laboratory, and kept at 25±3ºC and 70±10% of relative humidity until the larval phase. The caterpillars were individually kept in gerboxes and fed with tomato slices until the pupa phase for identification. This is the first report of the occurrence of Heliothis virescens in tomato fruits in Brazil.
Heliothis virescens; Lycopersicon esculentum; damages