Any ideas what this is?

[Chosemerveille]

G'day folks,

I was out in the garden and I noticed these spots on the three of my tomato plants:




What is this?

Cheers for your help!

Best,

Dennis

[henry]

Leaf Miner.

[Chosemerveille]

What should I use to get rid of them?

[PhilaGardener]

If just a few leaves, clip and dispose in trash.

Look around your garden for other kinds of plants that may be hosting leaf miners - columbine is a particular problem source in my yard.

[Chosemerveille]

Cheers for the info. I'll do some cleanup tomorrow morning. Thanks!

[gorbelly]

Not leaf miner. It's tomato pinworm. Took me weeks of googling to identify it. I have a big problem with them this year. I've never noticed this much damage from them before. It's not enough damage to really put a dent in production, but it sure uglifies the plants, and they do occasionally burrow into a fruit. The plants I sprayed with spinosad seem to have less of a problem after spraying. I forgot to spray some of my dwarf plants in containers on the other side of the yard, though, and they're looking pretty sad now.

[Chosemerveille]

Ok good to know. Will be ordering spinosad. Good to have in any event. Cheers!

[gorbelly]

I think Bt should do the trick and is more narrow spectrum so will spare more beneficials. It's just that I had spinosad on hand because I had an issue that needed it.

[Chosemerveille]

I do have BT on hand. I'll remove affected leaves and spray tomorrow. Cheers!

[Shapshftr]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Not leaf miner. It's tomato pinworm. Took me weeks of googling to identify it. I have a big problem with them this year. I've never noticed this much damage from them before. It's not enough damage to really put a dent in production, but it sure uglifies the plants, and they do occasionally burrow into a fruit. The plants I sprayed with spinosad seem to have less of a problem after spraying. I forgot to spray some of my dwarf plants in containers on the other side of the yard, though, and they're looking pretty sad now.

I agree with gorbelly. Pinworm has been confused with leaf miner over the years. Here's some info on both. Compare the pictures on both pages to yours. Your third picture clearly shows the "leaf folding" of pinworm.

This part is especially important to know:

"Management

Several sanitary measures should be followed because infestations often result from shipment of pinworms in picking containers, crates, infested fruit or seedlings, and from populations perpetuated on plants left in fields after harvest or left in seed flats or compost heaps. The precautions include use of transplants that are free of eggs and larvae when set in the field, and the destruction of all plant debris in fields after harvest. Populations may be controlled early during the first or second larval stages with several recommended insecticides; however, third or fourth instars are protected by leaf folds or fruit, making the control of older infestations difficult. Consequently, chemical control is contingent upon frequent and accurate observations of fields for pinworm mines."

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/...to_pinworm.htm

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/..._leafminer.htm

[Chosemerveille]

Ugh. Thanks for the info!

[TigrikT]

I had it too. Used both Spinosad and Bt after clipping the affected leaves. Seems it worked. Dont see any.