Tomato leaf miner
Liriomyza bryoniae
Biology
The leaf miner goes through six stages, namely egg, three larval stages, pupa and adult. The adult leaf miners are small, yellow and black coloured flies. The larvae form mines in the leaves of plants. Pupation takes place mostly in the soil.
Damage symptoms
- Larvae cause mines. This can lead to cosmetic damage, leaves drying out or even early defoliation. The latter may affect the yield.
- Female adults cause feeding marks where they feed. This gives cosmetic damage to the plants. Indirect damage occurs when fungi or bacteria enter the feeding areas.
