Whitefly

Identification

Adults whiteflies are tiny winged insects, usually found on undersides of leaves. They are powdery grey to white in colour and 1.25- 2 mm long.

Damage They Cause:

-plant sap is removed from the leaves and young shoots causing plant stunting and leaf drop

-excretion of honeydew, reducing photosynthesis and causing sooty mold to colonize on the leaves

-often a disease vector, ingesting virus particles when feeding and spreading them to other plants

Beneficial Insects for Control:

Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) -parasitoid wasp -excellent control of greenhouse whitefly -lays eggs in pupae of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Greenhouse Whitefly)

Delphastus catalinae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) -predatory beetle Micromus variegatus (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) -generalist predatory adults & larvae