• Widespread distribution. In Oceania, several Pacific island countries. A major pest of many important vegetables in the cabbage and legume families, and weeds. Identification needs taxonomic expertise.
• Damage: Eggs laid both sides of leaf under epidermis. Larvae make irregular, pale-coloured mines in leaves that gradually widen; mines have dark green line of faeces in middle. Pupation is in the soil. Adults take sap from leaves (females only) and feed on nectar.
• Spread is by flying and via international horticultural trade.
• Biosecurity: trade in horticultural produce across national borders is a risk and needs careful regulation.
• Natural enemies: many predators and wasp parasitoids.
• Cultural control: weed, nursery and field; plough exposing pupae before planting; check nursery plants before planting out; avoid overlapping crops; handpick or squash leaves with mines; high-value crops - cover soil with mulch preventing adults emerging; collect and burn debris after harvest.
• Chemical control: biorational (i) insecticidal soap, white or horticultural oils; (ii) botanicals (chillies, neem, derris, pyrethrum); (iii) microbials (abamectin, spinosad). Avoid organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids.

Cabbage leafminer, Serpentine leafminer (the same common name is given to other leafminers (see Fact Sheets nos. 110, 259, 262 & 377)

Liriomyza brassicae. See other fact sheets for accounts on separate species (Fact Sheet nos. 259 & 262) and, for a general account, (see Fact Sheet no. 110).