Nature of Damage

  • It is a tiny caterpillar mines through the upper or epidermal layer of young leaves (Fig. 1). 
  • The newly emerged larvae fold one side of margin of leaf and the start mining the leaf (Fig. 2 & 3). 
  • The larva found feeding inside the leaf tissue, leaving long, slender, winding, white tunnels (mines) through the leaf (Fig.  5).
  • The infested leaves exhibits glistening irregular galleries or serpentine mines on the leaf surface, leaves get distorted, curl, dry up and ultimately fall down (Fig. 4).