Bambaranut leaf miner
Namibian crop pests  #  89
(Unknown) Order: Lepidoptera Family: 

Fields of bambaranut (Vigna subterranea) were attacked by leaf miners at Mahenene Research Station, Omusati region, during the month of April, 2000. Photos were taken and a few of the remaining caterpillars and pupae were collected but they did not hatch.

On 26 March 2002, Werner Schenkel and Theresia from the Bamfood project collected caterpillars and took photos of moths that were mining their bambaranuts at Mahenene Research Station. Leaf samples were brought to me and moths began to hatch the next morning. Two species hatched: a microlepidoptera called No 89. Bambaranut leaf miner and a larger moth wich was named No.109 Plusia looper.
 


Symptoms on bambaranut leaf

pupae (10 mm long) on bambaranut leaf

Caterpillar (Photo W. Schenke)

Imago (16 mm)

 

Common names: 

 No vernacular names were recorded.

Pest status:

 The pest status in farmers' fields is unknown. We have only observed this species from experimental bambara nut fields at Mahenene Research Station over 3 seasons.

Description:

 Leaves are spun together two and two to cover the caterpillar. The affected leaf area turns silvery or pale grey. 
The caterpillar is pale green with a green or pale brown head. Young caterpillars are just pale green.
The pupae is brown and 10 mm long. It is often just attached to a leaf with a fine web.
Imago is a small moth,  red-brown in colour with a few darker lines across the wings. The wing span is 16 mm

Control:

 Control is not recommended at present until the pest status is better known.

Other notes:

 		 Thanks to Werner Schenkel and Teresia Kaulihova for taking photos and bringing in more samples of the two moths that are mining on Bambaranuts.


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