There have been significant hatches of mainly southern armyworm but also beet armyworm, tomato fruitworms and looper s over the past few days. Pinworms are being widely reported across the area, although most have been in traps and f ew problems have been seen in the fields. Growers should begin to apply controls once thresholds of 5 adults per trap per night are observed. It, like the leafminer, tunnels through the leaf, eating away the chlorophyll tissue and leaves a crooked tunnel behind. The pinworm also rolls and ties the leaf tips together, differing from the leafminer in that it does not leave a trail of fecal material in its tunnel but comes to the entrance to make depositions of wastes.
Tomato pinworm can be one of the most severe pests confronting Florida tomato growers .
This is a good time to consider strategies for managing this pest because the populations usually begin developing in the early spring. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae begin to feed. The larva drops to the soil to pupate and several generations of the pest can be expected each year . Populations often occur initially around field margins, and feeding is largely confined to foliage. As the numbers increase, however, more of the field is likely to be infested.