Description:
The adult is 2-3mm with 7-8mm wingspan. Wings are mainly white, partly suffused with yellowish orange and marked with black striae and a prominent black pre-apical spot. Larva is translucent suffused with yellow, up to 3.5 mm long. In the spring, eggs are laid on the young leaves where larvae form long serpentine mines.
Symptoms:
Leaves: Silvery translucent serpentine mines, twisted leaves, reduction of photosynthetic capacity. Tissue adjacent to the mines can become necrotic, high infestations can affect plant growth
Hosts: Citrus
Taxonomy:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Gracillariidae |
| Genus | Phyllocnistis |
| Species | citrella |
References:
Alford D. V. (2014). Pests of Fruit Crops. A Colour Handbook, CRC Press, 2nd Edition