whitefly

whitefly, any sap-sucking member of the insect family Aleyrodidae (order Homoptera). The nymphs, resembling scale insects, are flat, oval, and usually covered with a cottony substance; the adults, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 inch) long, are covered with a white opaque powder and resemble tiny moths. The four wings develop within the insect and evert during the last molt. These pests are abundant in warm climates and are found on houseplants and in greenhouses.

The citrus whitefly (Dialeurodes citri) is economically important, sucking sap from orange and date trees and producing honeydew, a sweet by-product of digestion, upon which grows a sooty fungus that ruins the fruit. Control is by oil or parathion sprays.

The citrus blackfly (Aleurocanthus woglumi) is well established in Mexico and the West Indies. A sooty fungus that grows on the honeydew excreted by the citrus blackfly reduces the host plant’s ability to photosynthesize.

The greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) is one of the most abundant and destructive members of the family. It damages plants by reducing vigour and causing them to wilt, turn yellow, and die. Sprays that kill both adult and larval stages are necessary to control this pest.