Boxwood Leafminer Fact Sheet

Leafminers printable pdf click on images to see larger view among the many leafminers that affect ornamental and vegetable plants are.

Boxwood leafminer fact sheet.

Merit marathon and generics and dinotefuran e g. Severely shearing the foliage before adult emergence or after egg laying ends will reduce the overall population. This fact sheet from clemson includes using spinosad for control when the leafminers are present in the leaves. It is difficult to control the adult leafminers because of their short adult.

Close up of boxwood leafminer larvae. Pruning boxwood back by about 1 3rd to remove the stems with infested leaves will help reduce this pest. Dispose of the clippings. Boxwood leafminer monarthropalpusi flavus is a common and destructive pest that causes significant damage to boxwoods here in the dayton area although the symptoms are often mistaken for winter injury rather than insect infestation since boxwoods are such a popular shrub it s important to control leafminers so they don t spread to neighboring plants and properties.

It occurs everywhere in the usa from the east to the west coast. Effective control options for boxwood leafminer include applications of neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid e g. This should eliminate the need to use an insecticide. Boxwood leafminer monarthropalpus flavus.

Microphylla littleleaf boxwood and var. This is the most serious insect pest that attacks boxwood the leafminer is the larva immature form of a small orangish mosquito like fly. Leafminers on boxwood shrubs. Boxwoods buxus spp are enjoyed in a range of landscapes as hedges or screens background plantings topiary pieces and other uses.

Boxwood leafminer diptera a fly maggot exposed in the tunnel it has eaten between the layers of a boxwood leaf buxus this pest is the most serious pest of this evergreen plant. American serpentine leafminer liriomyza trifolii beet leafminer pegomya betae birch leafminer fenusa pusilla boxwood leafminer monarthropalpus flavus columbine leafminer phytomyza aquilegivora and p. These flies are less than inch long and can often be seen swarming around boxwoods in the spring. Numerous pests and diseases may.

All varieties of boxwood are susceptible but the slower growing english varieties are less. As always read and follow label directions paying particular attention to the protection of pollinators restrictions including delaying applications until. Long distance spread of the pathogen is through the movement of infected nursery material. Spinosad is the least toxic to the environment.

See section titled insects related pests. Japonica japanese boxwood b. Insularis korean boxwood b colchica and pachysandra are susceptible.