Integrated whole‑transcriptome analysis reveals ceRNA regulatory networks underlying Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) adaptation to starvation stress

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta , is a highly invasive pest that exhibits strong adaptive capacity under nutrient stress. Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks regulate post-transcriptional gene expression through interactions among miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs, and mRNAs, and may play important roles in nutrient stress adaptation. However, the involvement of ceRNA-mediated regulation in T. absoluta remains largely unknown. In this study, we employed whole-transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in T. absoluta under fresh tomato feeding compared with starvation. We identified 46 DEmiRNAs, 2143 DEmRNAs, 391 DElncRNAs, and 1635 DEcircRNAs, and constructed putative DElncRNA–DEmiRNA–DEmRNA and DEcircRNA–DEmiRNA–DEmRNA regulatory networks based on computational prediction and expression correlation analyses. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that DEmRNAs, miRNA target genes, and circRNA host genes were predominantly involved in chitin metabolism, lipid catabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and detoxification pathways. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis further demonstrated significant enrichment in pathways including AMPK signaling, insulin signaling, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. Notably, miR‑6497a and miR‑6498‑5p were predicted to represent key regulatory hubs within the putative ceRNA network, interacting with multiple DElncRNAs, DEcircRNAs, and DEmRNAs. Collectively, this study reveals a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network in T. absoluta under starvation stress, highlighting non-coding RNA (ncRNA) roles in metabolic adaptation and detoxification, and providing candidate targets for RNAi‑based control.