Eggs of Liriomyza sativae measure approximately 0.3 - 0.1 mm and are translucent and whitish. The larvae are legless grubs, with no head capsule. They are translucent at first, but become yellowish-orange in later instars. The pupae are oval and slightly flattened and vary in colour from yellowish-orange to a darker golden brown when the adults are nearly ready to emerge. The adults are up to 1.8 mm long, with females being larger than males; the face, frons, third segment of the antenna and scutellum are yellow, and the mesothorax and abdomen are black, although the edges of some plates on the abdomen are yellow. The limbs are brown with yellow femora and coxa.