The larva is minute, orange-yellowish, and apodous, while the adult is pale yellow in color.
These small flies lay eggs in leaves, and the larvae feed inside the leaves.
Damage Symptoms:
The pest causes characteristic white, twisting lines on the leaves.
Severe leaf mining leads to leaf drop and stunted plant growth.
Females puncture leaves and lay eggs inside the leaf tissues. After the eggs hatch, larvae feed on the palisade mesophyll cells of leaves while moving inside.
Mining starts from the leaf margins and progresses toward the center. When the leaf miner larva is ready to pupate, it cuts a semicircular slit on the leaf surface and falls to the ground.
Preventive Measures:
Destroy debris, crop residues, weeds, and other alternate hosts.
Perform deep summer plowing.
Frequently rake the soil beneath the crop to expose and kill the eggs, grubs, and pupae.
Control Measures:
Spray neem oil on the leaves in the early morning or late evening.
