Michigan State University Extension
Ornamental Plants plus Version 3.0 - 00001740
11/12/99
Birch Leaf Miner
The birch leaf miner is a very common pest on ornamental
birches.
The adult (Vis. 1) females lay eggs in the developing leaves
about mid-May. The larvae hatch out and begin to eat the
leaf tissue (Vis. 2) between the upper and lower leaf
surfaces. The leaf mining can last two weeks. The larva
then make a hole in the leaf and drop to the ground to
pupate. The pupal stage lasts about three weeks and the
adults emerge to start another generation. There are at
least two generations per year.
The symptoms are browned leaves. If an affected leaf is
torn in two across the brown area it can be seen that the
leaf is hollow. Eggs are laid on immature leaves so later
generation injury may be found an growth developed since
the first generation infestation.
The insect can be controlled with pesticides applied in
mid-May before the much injury has occurred.
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This file was generated from data base ZZ on 01/19/00.
Data base ZZ was last revised on 11/12/99.
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