Apple (Lyonetia) leafminer

Insect

Apple (Lyonetia) leafminer

Lyonetia prunifoliella Hübner

Distribution: Mainly in the northeastern US and south through the mid-Atlantic states.

Photos

Larvae’s winding, linear mine widens into a blotch mine on leaf upper surfaces.

Larvae’s winding, linear mine widens into a blotch mine on leaf upper surfaces. NY State Ag Experiment Station
C

The adult has narrow white forewings with extensive gray-black and brown markings apically; wing margins are fringed with long hairs (A). The larva is whitish and generally concealed within the leaf mine. The pupa is external, and hangs suspended in a "hammock" from the leaf underside (B).

  • Crops Affected: apples, cherries, plums

    Damage

    Attacks apple, plum, and cherry. Larvae form a winding linear mine that widens into a blotch mine on the upper surface of the leaf (C). Black frass is ejected through holes chewed in the lower epidermis and is commonly seen hanging from the mine in threads.

    Management

    Removal of root initials and water sprouts may greatly reduce the amount of available food for larvae and thereby control adult numbers. Avoid excess fertilization that would enhance vegetative growth, particularly later in the season.

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