Life cycle of leaf miners

There are many leaf miner species affecting various crops. Problems with leaf miner have increased as a result of the use of pesticides: natural enemies are killed, allowing leaf miner populations to erupt into serious numbers. Adult leaf miners are yellow and black coloured flies, at most only several millimeters long. The adult female lays eggs by making holes in the leave, known as egg spots, by using her toothed ovipositor. Often no eggs are laid in these holes, but the plant exuding sap is consumed. Th