Endophagous herbivorous insects live and feed within plants and lead to the formation of different plant architectures like galls and mines which offers protection from natural enemies. This selective feeding behaviour of the endophagous leaf miner pests is also known to alter plant physiology by manipulating the plant phytohormonal balance for exploiting the plant resources effectively. Cytokinins (CKs) are one of the phytohormones that play a key role in plant morphology, plant defense and leaf senescence. The results of the present experiments with one of the invasive leaf mining pest, the tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Gelechiidae: Lepidoptera) revealed higher cytokinin content in mined leaves that are presumed to be responsible for maintaining the nutritive green tissues than unmined leaves which otherwise will undergo senescence. | Cytokinin induction in response to tomato pinworm, tuta absoluta meyrick (Gelechiidae: Lepidoptera) damage on tomato leaves
