Squiggly Lines on Magnolia Leaves
The highly visible handiwork of the magnolia serpentine leafmining caterpillar (Phyllocnistis magnoliella) is becoming evident magnolias in nurseries and landscapes in southern Ohio. The moth belongs to the leafmining family Gracillariidae. The tiny caterpillars of this aptly named moth feed close to the upper leaf epidermis, producing long, thin, serpentine mines that appear as silvery tracks snaking across the leaf surface.
Hosts for this leafminer include bigleaf, cucumber, southern, star, sweet bay, and umbrella magnolias. Large numbers of mines on a...