Leafminer—A Pest Insect That Targets
Just About Anything That Grows

The leafminer is an insect that lays its eggs in the spongy layer of leaves. The larvae tunnel through the leaf, giving it a brownish, spotty appearance. Its preferred plants are spinach, pumpkin, peppers, squash and tomatoes.

Leafminers harm almost all plant groups.

These pests easily mine vegetation, including marine plants, using milky juices, toxic to other creatures.

Leafminers tend to be most plentiful in the tropics but are broadly dispersed in the warm zones.

They're more damaging in the southern U.S. than anywhere else in the country.

Leafminers are approximately 1/8 inch (3 mm) long. A couple generations cycle through each summer. Their lifespan is usually three weeks from egg to adult.

The majority of leafminer tunnels are small, twisting, creamy-colored tracks. Although they don't produce much damage, they mar the look of attractive shrubs and trees.

Leafminer Controls

Photo courtesy of
John A. Weidhass,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University, Bugwood.org

• Neem oil
• Hand picking
• Destroying infested leaves
• Parasitic wasps

You can also use trap plants nearby the target plants. For instance, velvetleaf, columbine and lambsquarter may draw attention away from other plants.

Trap plants are a form of companion planting.

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