Leafminer is a tiny beetle, moth, fly, or wasp which, in the larval stage, tunnels between the upper and lower surfaces of leaves. The leaves provide food and protection for the larvae. Leafminers can often be identified by the shape of the whitish tunnels or blotches they make in leaves and by the plant species they infest. Some leafminers migrate from leaf to leaf. Others tunnel in the stems, roots, or fruits of plants, or feed on the outer surface of leaves. A few species occur in great enough numbers to be very destructive. See Larva.
The lives of leafminers begin when female insects lay eggs on leaves. The larvae that hatch from these eggs begin to eat tunnels, or mines, in the leaves. The larvae take from one to three weeks to nearly a year to mature. They then enter the pupal stage of their lives (see Insect (The life cycle of insects)). There are many species of leafminers and they are found throughout the world.
