Fruit & Vegetable Magazine

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New allium pest of concern – Allium leaf miner

May 10, 2018  By ON Vegetables



Allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma) an invasive pest of European origin, has recently been identified in several U.S. states, including: Pennsylvania (2015), New Jersey (2016), New York (2017), and Maryland (2017), representing the first records in the Western Hemisphere.

Allium leaf miner is an insect pest similar to leek moth, as it causes a substantial amount of damage to Allium crops at the larval stage. Larvae mine into the leaves, stalks, and/or bulbs of leeks, onions (dry bulb, green), garlic, shallots and chives. As they grow, larvae move towards the bulb and sheath leaves, where they often pupate. The galleries in the tissue leave the plant susceptible to infection by fungi and bacteria. Symptoms of feeding injury vary depending on the host plant and its stage of development. Very high rates of injury, including up to 100 per cent crop loss, have been reported. | For the full story, CLICK HERE.

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