Leafminers on Muscadine Fruit.
Zack Snipes, ©2023, Clemson Extension
These muscadines have been fed on by the larvae of a leafminer (a species of fly (Diptera)). Adults lay their eggs on the surface of a fruit, stem, or leaf of a plant, and the larvae tunnel in the tissue of the plant, forming a distinct-looking pattern where they have fed. Leafminers affect a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and native plants. Their “designs” or feeding damage can be quite beautiful, and in my tenure as an extension agent, rarely, if ever, have they caused damage that warranted treatment. Read more about leafminers here.
