Leaf miner
Description
Female insects lay small eggs on leaves of apple, holly, chrysanthemum. On hatching, the insect larvae tunnel into the leaves and feed between the two leaf surfaces. This creates clear trails or ‘mines’ in the leaf.
Symptoms
Leaf miners leave pale twisting tunnels under the surface of affected leaves. Decoratively unsightly, but normally does no major harm to plants.
Treatment and control
General tips
If feasible squash the tunnel to kill the burrowing larvae or pick off affected leaves and burn. Regular cultivation of the soil below the affected plant will allow feeding birds to reduce the population as they feed on pupae.
