What term describes insect feeding between the upper and lower leaf surfaces, leaving a visible trail or blotch?

What term describes insect feeding between the upper and lower leaf surfaces, leaving a visible trail or blotch?

• A. Girdling
• B. Leafmining
• C. Chewing
• D. Sucking

Answer: (B)

Leafmining describes insects whose larvae feed between the upper and lower surfaces of a leaf, eating the internal tissue as they move and leaving a tunnel or blotch that is visible from the outside. The described sign—a feeding path inside the leaf that appears as a trail or blotch—fits this pattern because the damage is inside the leaf rather than on the surface. Other feeding types don’t match: girdling is damage around stems or branches, chewing makes holes or ragged edges on the leaf surface, and sucking removes sap, often causing stippling or yellowing on the surface.

Leafmining describes insects whose larvae feed between the upper and lower surfaces of a leaf, eating the internal tissue as they move and leaving a tunnel or blotch that is visible from the outside. The described sign—a feeding path inside the leaf that appears as a trail or blotch—fits this pattern because the damage is inside the leaf rather than on the surface. Other feeding types don’t match: girdling is damage around stems or branches, chewing makes holes or ragged edges on the leaf surface, and sucking removes sap, often causing stippling or yellowing on the surface.