2 (1 = rare 5 = annual)

2 (1 = very little damage 5 = plants killed)

Swiss chard, spinach, tomato, cucumber and celery

Vegetable

• Cucumber (Cucumis sativas)
• Spinach (Spinacia oleracea, New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia Tetragonoides))
• Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

The damaged leaves are unmarketable. One larva may feed on more than one leaf. Leafminer attack vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, and celery. Sometimes they also attack lettuce and parsley in the greenhouse but cause less damage to similar vegetables grown in the field.

Spinach and Swiss chard leafminer flies are 1/2 inch long and gray with black bristles. This leaf miner lay eggs on the underside of the leaves side by side singly or in batches up to five. The larvae drop from the leaves after feeding for about two weeks onto the ground where it pupates and overwinters in the soil as pupae. In spring, they appear from mid April to May and they cause serious damage compared to the other generations that appear later.

Use row covers. Remove host weeds (chickweed, lambsquarter, nightshade). Do deep spring plowing or rototilling to bury overwintering pupae, remove attacked leaves, and apply insecticides (recommended in your state) on eggs before they hatch into larvae.

Home gardeners should cut out the attacked area of leaf and use the rest of the leaf especially on Swiss chard.

Home, Yard & Garden Pest Guide
The Home, Yard & Garden Pest Guide (C1391) provides is written for homeowners and other residents and provides nonchemical and current chemical recommendations for controlling pests associated with trees, shrubs, turf, flowers, groundcovers, vegetables, fruit, and houses. In addition, you'll find detailed information about integrated pest management, pesticide safety, and pesticide application and calibration techniques. This publication may be purchased at your local University of Illinois Extension Unit office, or by calling 800-345-6087, or by placing an order online (search for "C1391").
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Illinois Commercial Landscape and Turfgrass Pest Management Handbook
The Illinois Commercial Landscape and Turfgrass Pest Management Handbook (ICLT) is written for professional applicators and provides nonchemical and current chemical recommendations as well as application timing information for all major pests of turf, woody ornamentals and herbaceous ornamentals. This publication may be purchased at your local University of Illinois Extension Unit office, or by calling 800-345-6087, or by placing an order online (search for "ICLT").
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U of IL - Distance Diagnosis through Digital Imaging
A free plant, weed, insect and disease identification service available through your local University of Illinois Extension office. Center Educators or State Specialists review & respond to information and digital images submitted by local Extension office personnel. Some samples may require further examination or culture work (nominal fee involved) at the U of IL Plant Clinic.
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U of IL - Plant Clinic
Services include plant and insect identification, diagnosis of disease, insect, weed and chemical injury (chemical injury on field crops only), nematode assays, and help with nutrient related problems, as well as recommendations involving these diagnoses. Microscopic examinations, laboratory culturing, virus assays, and nematode assays are some of the techniques used in the clinic.
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