The tomato moth, which is also known as the tuta absoluta, is wreaking havoc in the Majorcan countryside yet again, especially around Sineu, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
It was first detected in Majorca in 2006 in Castelló de la Plana and in Ibiza in 2007. By 2008 the tuta had destroyed a mountain of tomato crops.
In recent years, its presence has been more controlled, but the moths started to multiply again at the beginning of last summer, for two reasons; winter temperatures in Majorca are higher than usual so the tuta is not being killed off by cold weather and it's also becoming more resistant to insecticides.
Farmers say the tuta is already violently attacking tomato plantations and they fear the situation will get much worse in the next few months.
"The situation is especially worrying in greenhouse plantations where the cycle is not broken and the insect has great reproductive potential," says Jaume Pocoví from Unió de Pagesos.