Citrus Leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Back to Citrus Entomology

Citrus Leafminer is a small moth that attacks young citrus leaves.   It is a worldwide pest.    It arrived in the southernmost area of California (Imperial County) in the year 2000 and is gradually moving its way northward.  In southern and coastal California, the populations of citrus leafminer have been heaviest during the fall flush.

Mature citrus trees can tolerate leaf damage quite well and so insecticide treatments are not likely to be necessary.  As the leafminer expands its range, parasites are likely to keep it under sufficient control in mature orchards to avoid any kind of yield effects.  Therefore, it is best to avoid treating with insecticides which would disrupt those natural enemies.

Young trees in the nursery setting or newly planted trees in orchards can experience reduced tree growth if the infestation of citrus leafminer is heavy and prolonged.  At the moment, Admire applied through the irrigation is the best method of suppressing citrus leafminer in young trees (< 4 years old).   Various researchers from the University of California at Riverside, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture Biological Control Program are studying the biological and chemical control of this pest. 

Follow the links noted below to learn more about the distribution, damage potential, and management tactics for this pest. 

Data Entry: 

Citrus Leafminer Trap Count Reporting

New! Publication Describing the Citrus Leafminer Lifecycle:

Citrus Leafminer and Citrus Peelminer ANR publication #8321. A color brochure that describes the both the citrus leafminer and citrus peelminer and the damage they cause. 

You can search for other University of California ANR publications using this web site:
http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu

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Publications for Management of Citrus Leafminer

View the Current Distribution of Citrus Leafminer in California

Commercial Sources of CLM Pheromone Traps and Lures

Recognizing Citrus Leafminer on Sticky Cards

UC IPM Insecticide Guidelines for Citrus Leafminer

How to Collect and Preserve Citrus Leafminer Parasites