Leafy vegetable pests
Vegetable leafminer
Order: Diptera (flies)
Family: Agromyzidae (leaf miner flies)
▶Scientific name: Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau)
▶Size: Adult body length approx. 2 mm
▶Host plants: Pea, safflower, cabbage, lettuce, rapeseed, etc.
▶Distribution: Korea, Japan, China, etc.
The adult is a small fly that lays eggs inside the leaf tissue and occurs multiple times per year. This is a polyphagous pest that attacks a wide range of crops. Adults are about 2 mm long, and mature larvae grow to about 3 mm.
The larvae mine irregular, linear tunnels within the leaf tissue as they feed, and the damaged areas turn brown. Because they often invade near the base of the leaf, severe infestations can cause the entire plant to wither and die. In greenhouses, withered plant tissues may subsequently develop gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), and airborne spores from these sites can cause secondary damage.
