Whitefly Identification
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What’s a Whitefly?
Whiteflies are one of the most serious threats to crops.
Appearance:
Although all whiteflies tend to look alike, there are two major types, the greenhouse whitefly and the silver leaf whitefly. Adult greenhouse whiteflies are slightly less than 1/8 inch long. They have a white, waxy coating and hold their wings parallel to the leaf surface. Adult silver leaf whiteflies are a bit smaller than the greenhouse whitefly and they have a yellowish hue to them. When Whiteflies become a problem, call and schedule your Whitefly Control Service.
Eating Habits:
Whitefly adults are multi-taskers: the females eat and lay eggs at the same time. They feed on the underside of leaves by inserting their short, needlelike beak into the foliage and sucking out the plant juices.
Plant Damage:
Whiteflies can seriously injure host plants by sucking juices from them causing wilting, yellowing, stunting, leaf drop, or even death. Typical of most sap feeders, whiteflies must eat large quantities of dilute sap in order to obtain the necessary nutrients. All that liquid and excess sugar ends up being excreted as shiny, sticky honeydew that may detract from the plant’s appearance or lead to black sooty mold that grows on the foliage.
Life Cycle:
Female adult whiteflies don’t bother to stop eating to lay eggs so they turn on their beak as they feed and consequently end up laying eggs in a semicircle around the feeding site. After 5 to 7 days the eggs hatch into tiny pale green immatures called nymphs. These crawl a short distance before settling down to feed in one place for the rest of their life. Nymphs suck out large quantities of plant sap for 2 to 3 weeks and then go into a non-feeding resting stage while they transform to adults. In 4 to 6 weeks the entire process from egg to adult is completed and ready to start again.