Pest profile

Citrus Leafminer

Phyllocnistis citrella · Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae[2]

Citrus leafminer damage looks bad on new growth, but mature backyard trees rarely suffer serious harm, and even heavily attacked young trees are unlikely to die.[1]

Citrus leaf with silvery, winding leafminer tunnels marked by a thin dark line
Citrus leaf with silvery, winding leafminer tunnels marked by a thin dark line. (c) Helio Lourencini, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Larvae make winding, shallow mines just under the leaf surface with a thin dark frass line down the middle.[1]
  • At the end the larva rolls the leaf edge over itself to pupate, leaving curled, distorted leaves.[1]
  • Adults are tiny silvery-white moths under 1/4 inch with a black spot at each wing tip, rarely seen.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Citrus peelminerPeelminer larvae leave no frass line and mine fruit and stems, not leaves.[1]
Other leafminersCitrus leafminer is the only mining insect that commonly attacks citrus leaves.[1]

Where it lives

Native to Asia, it reached Florida in 1993 and California in 2000, and now infests most of Southern California, the coast to San Luis Obispo County, and the San Joaquin Valley.[1]

US map: public records from 10 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Females lay single eggs under tender new leaves, especially along the midvein; eggs hatch in about a week.[1]

Larvae feed two to three weeks, pupate one to three weeks, and the whole cycle takes three to seven weeks.[1]

Only young, shiny flush is attacked; hardened leaves are safe unless populations are extreme.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Mined leaves curl and look distorted, and very young trees may grow more slowly.[1]
  • Mature trees more than four years old tolerate damage with negligible effect on growth and yield.[1]

Health risk

It mines citrus leaves only; UC IPM describes no risk to people.[1]

Control

Prevention

Don't prune live branches more than once a year, and avoid nitrogen when populations are high in summer and fall.[1]

Leave damaged leaves on the tree; their undamaged parts still feed it.[1]

Traps and physical control

Remove water sprouts and rootstock suckers, which keep flushing and attract egg-laying moths.[1]

Biological control

Native nonstinging wasps such as Cirrospilus and Pnigalio parasitize larvae; avoid broad-spectrum sprays that kill them.[1]

Pesticides

Mature trees rarely need treatment; for young trees, azadirachtin or spinosad on new flush show some effect but need repeating.[1]

Common questions

Will citrus leafminer kill my tree?
Unlikely. Mature trees tolerate it, and even young trees with heavy infestations rarely die.[1]
Should I prune off curled leaves?
No. The undamaged parts of those leaves keep feeding the tree.[1]

Sources

  1. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Citrus Leafminer (Publication 74137).” ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74137.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Phyllocnistis citrella taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/257156 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.