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| Mature larvae are greenish-white, 4 - 5 mm long, and have many ring-like segments. Hatchlings are transparent. |
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| The adult CLM is a minute brownish moth, with a 3.5 - 5 mm wingspan and a black band on its forewings. |
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Plum and pin cherry are the preferred hosts of the cherry leafminer (CLM). It overwinters as a pupa in orchard litter. Adults emerge from late May to mid-June and immediately mate. Female CLM lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. Approximately three weeks later, larvae hatch from the eggs and bore into the underside of the leaf. From there they quickly move to the tissue directly below the upper leaf surface. As the larva grows, the mining becomes more extensive, and the mature larvae can be seen through the upper surface of the leaf, which becomes transparent. The mature larva cuts a small slit through the leaf and drops to the orchard floor to pupate approximately two weeks from the time it bored into the leaf. CLM can cause defoliation, reducing yield and tree growth.
Control: Controls are timed for emerging adults. Black light traps are effective for monitoring adult flight. |
