nurtomi

Pale trails inside leaves

Leaf-miner larvae feed between the surfaces of a leaf.

Leaf-miner damage on a chard leaf.
Leaf-miner damage on a chard leaf. Photo: Babahu · CC0 · Resized and converted for display.

What to look for

Look for winding pale trails or blotches within the leaf tissue. Damage can vary with the insect and plant, so examine a few leaves and look for an active larva before deciding on a cause.

What to do

Remove a few badly affected leaves when practical and dispose of them away from plants. Watch new growth and avoid broad pesticide use based only on old trails.

Sources