LabImage319Elucidating the chemical ecology of natural enemies, herbivores and host plants is important in the development of effective and successful pest management strategies. In response to attack by herbivores, plants produce semiochemicals which act to attract their natural enemies. Female parasitoids have evolved foraging strategies in order to find suitable hosts. Egg parasitoids have been shown to exploit plant cues induced by the deposition of host eggs. The tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta, is a widespread pest of tomato and other solanaceous plants. Recent work on plant volatile compounds has shown that they may play multiple roles as communication signals and defence agents. The main aim of this project is the identification of induced oviposition plant volatiles of tomato that attract Trichogramma parasitoids. Static and dynamic headspace as well as Solid Phase MicroExtraction (SPME) sample pre-concentration techniques combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS, GC-MS/MS) will be employed for the identification of the emitted volatiles. Local indigenous species will be tested for their response in behavioural tests.