Leaf miner
Namibian crop pests # 30 
(unidentified) Order: Lepidoptera Family: unidentified

     
Leaf miner imago
 
Caterpillar in rolled leaf
 
 
 Typical leaf symptoms
 

COMMON NAMES

okapuka (general name) (Oshindonga, Oshikwanyama, Oshikwambi, Oshingandjera, Oshimbalantu, Oshikwaluudhi, Oshikolonkadhi)  

PEST STATUS

A minor pest of pearl millet, sorghum and maize. The effect looks very dramatic when seen on most plants, but no serious damage to crop yield has yet been recorded. The leaf miner is one of the most common pests of cereals in Northern Namibia. During the 1997-98 season, leaf miners were detected in all four regions and in virtually every inspected field.  
The caterpillar mines the outer 10-20 cm tip of the leaf, affecting young and old leaves. Damaged leaves are easy to detect in the field as they are folded flat along the midrib. Older leaves and maize leaves are often folded into a tube, which is “sown” together with white silk "stitches".   

DESCRIPTION

Slight damage is caused by a moth caterpillar, 18-20 mm long, which closes leaves together in a fold with silk and then feeds on the surface of the leaves inside the fold. The caterpillar is green with small black dots on the back. The front end of the caterpillar is often yellowish, while the head is dark brown. The caterpillar can be found by opening the folded leaf, but many leaves may be empty when examined. The adult moth is seldom seen in the field. It has shiny grey wings with a few dark brown or black lines. The wing span is 18-20 mm.  

CONTROL

Farmers are at present not advised to control this pest, as the damage appears slight.  
   

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