Those are the feeding trails of leaf miners, in this case it's a teeny fly that is the culprit....the Columbine leafminer. Chemical control is not warranted for leaf miners since the damage is strictly aesthetic. However, you can remove and dispose of affected leaves which will eliminate the teensy larvae (the actual miner) inside the leaf. Neem oil is also recommended....probably to keep the adult from laying eggs in the first place.

Yes, your plant will look pretty pathetic after you've removed all of those mined leaves, but it will recover.

It's a leaf miner. Very common problem with aquilegia (columbine). Because the insect - a little worm-like thing - lives in between the plant tissue inside the leaf and eats its way with those strange patterns, it does not respond well to insecticides, most of which need to be a contact application.

The problem is only cosmetic - does no real harm to the plant - so you do not need to do anything. The usual recommendation is to remove the affected foliage as soon as you see it and dispose of it. Stomping on it is a good plan :-) That tends to smush the creature doing the damage and eliminate problem!

THANKS,you two! I know I'd get the right answers here. Guess I'll follow your suggestions, and hope that the little buggers don't show up NEXT year! Thanks, Marian

Using topical pesticides to control leaf miners is largely a waste of money and an exercise in futility since they do not reach the wee buggers. Systemic insecticdes have been shown to adversly affect the bees and butterflies that feed on the pollen and nectar of the flowers. Most knowledgable people tell you there is little you can do once the larva are in the leaf.
Spraying Neem Oil, or other pesticides, before the adult lays eggs, or before the eggs hatch, might mean some measurte of control.

Here is a link that might be useful: About Leaf Miners

man.. you got the top 3 sperts to answer ...

but let me come at it from the other direction ...

some have suggested.. that my garden could be called 'anything but green' ... as i have so many variegated plants ...

what the leafminer does.. is make an otherwise nondescript green plant.. variegated ... lol ... others might even call it show #2.. after the flowers fade ...

so working on a zen level.. i like it ...

and you must do one of two things..

join me at that level..

or get rid of the plants ...

they will come back year after year .. as long as you have columbine.. some years barely noticeable.. some years very ...

as noted.. it is not worth any chemical intervention .. if you cant accept it.. find some other plant ...

but do try to join me as accepting it as variegation..

ken

LOL...that's a good attitude, ken. But it's worth repeating that simple housekeeping tasks can slow down the spread of these pesky pests.....and so can the application of neem, a well known anti-feedant.

But you make an EXCELLENT point about getting rid of the plants entirely. There are many species of leaf miners, but only one Columbine Leafminer. Get rid of the host and the problem vanishes.

the spread of these pesky pests

==>>> i guess i am trying to say.. is that they are NOT REALLY pests.. in that they do NO HARM to the plant ...

they only harm the aesthetic ... the 'look' if you will ...

after bloom fades.. the plant nearly dies back to the ground anyway .. so what will there be to treat ... just cut the leaves off.. leaving the rosette down near the ground ...

in 30 odds years of having columbine.. i have never treated for such ... and they come and go ...

and as i said.. adding variegation .. lol

i try to never 'treat' something.. that is basically not harming the plant ...

ken

FWIW, a native columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, seems to be much less affected by leafminers than do the modern hybrids and some of the other species. Also, cutting back the columbines after bloom can also keep the pest in check. Typically the worst miner damage seems to coincide with blooming and immediately afterwards. Cutting back the plants after blooming can eliminate the pest, get rid of any powdery mildew that these plants tend to be prone to, reduce the promiscuous cross-pollination and self-seeding these plants can experience and will result in a fresh flush of clean foliage - no miners!!