Strawberry crowminer – Monochroa fragariae

Strawberry crown miner (Monochroa fragariae)

Latin Name: Monochroa fragariae

Common Name: Strawberry Crown Miner

Appearance:

Monochroa fragariae, often known as the strawberry crown miner moth, belongs to the Gelechiidae family of moths.

• The wingspan is around 12 mm.
• The feathers are dark fuscous with sparse yellowish scales, three ill-defined blackish-brown dots on the cell, and a better-defined black mark near the cell’s end.
• A faint golden coastal streak runs from the apical third to the base of the cilia, with a postmarginal black line around the edge.
• The hindwings have a pale fuscous appearance.

Territory: It is found in North America

Damages caused by Strawberry Crown Miner:

The larvae eat the tops of the plants, destroying them. Early in the summer, the moth emerges and lays flat, brown eggs towards the crown. In around ten days, the egg will hatch. The expanding larva bores into the crown tunnels widely and then spins silken cocoons to overwrite it. For another season, they eat the crown.

Damages caused by Leaf chewers:

Insect chewing damage to plants can take numerous forms. Foliage or flowers may vanish when certain insects eat them. Occasionally, the plant will appear ragged and, upon closer inspection, will reveal bitten edges or cores. Plants can be cut at the root and topple over, or twigs can be girdled and die as a result. Mining or boring is the process of causing harm to a plant through chewing. Only the upper or lower surfaces are sometimes destroyed, producing a brown, burned look or skeletonization (openings between the veins).

Life History and Habits:

Early in the summer, the moth emerges and lays flat, brown eggs towards the crown. In around ten days, the egg will hatch. The expanding larva bores into the crown tunnels widely and then spins silken cocoons to overwrite it. For another season, they eat the crown.