Ana's notes: It is important to differentiate leafmining flies and leafmining caterpillars, since the management of the two groups of pests is different. The leafminers attacking coffee, cotton, groundnut, soybean and citrus are caterpillars, not leafmining flies. Some work was done on neem for control of leafminers on tomatoes some years back, but it was not published. I am looking for it; it should be added when available.
Leafmining flies (<i>Lyriomyza</i> spp)
Feeding and egg laying by leafmining flies cause stippling of leaves. This can kill seedlings and in older plants allows entry of disease-causing microorganisms. Feeding by maggots causes mining (tunnelling) of leaves reducing the productive leaf area. Heavily attacked leaves may drop off, and may lead to yield losses.
- Control by natural enemies is important.
- Ploughing can help in exposing pupae to desiccation and natural enemies.
- Neem products are effective for controlling leafminers.
