Description

Adult

Forewing length of 4.2-5.5 mm. Forewings pale to medium grey mottled with dark grey and yellowish-orange. Labial palps upturned. Abdomen is grey with ventral surface pale dull yellow.

Larvae

Newly hatched larvae are yellow to cream in colour with a black or brown head. Older larvae grow to 8 mm in length and develop a green body colour with darker markings that are typically purple to brown. A dark interrupted dorsal line is present and 2 lines of spots laterally. Head is usually pale brown and prothoracic plate pale brown with a black posterior border.

Eggs

Oval, less than 0.5mm long. Initially pale yellow, becoming orange with age. Laid singly or in small clusters on leaves of hosts.

Distribution

The Americas

Economic Host(s)

Members of the Solanaceae family including tomato, aubergine and potato.

Symptoms/Signs

On hatching larvae spin a tent of silk over themselves and tunnel into the leaf to feed within a translucent blotch like mine. Later instars feed within tied and folded leaves or bore into stems or fruits to feed – the entry holes can be detected below the calyx.

Generations:

7 or more