Scientific name Leucoptera coffeella
|Similar Leucoptera, Lyonetiidae, Coffee borer beetle, Hypothenemus, Hemileia vastatrix|
Bicho mineiro leucoptera coffeella
The coffee leaf miner (Leucoptera coffeella) is a moth in the Lyonetiidae family. It is found in every coffee-growing country in South America, Central America and the West Indies. It is considered one of the worst pest species of coffee.
The wingspan is about 6.5 millimetres (0.26 in). Adults are entirely covered with silvery white scales. There are up to ten generations per year.
The larvae feed on Coffea arabica. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of brown necrotic blotches. The larvae are white, slightly transparent and about 5 millimetres (0.20 in) long.
Predators of Leucoptera coffeella include Protonectarina sylveirae and Synoeca cyanea, social wasps found in Brazil.