"Just as the name implies, whitefly are small, fly-like insects with white coloured wings. They hide on the underside of leaves where they multiply rapidly. Whitefly feed on plant juices and, in large numbers, can consume a considerable amount of nutrients, causing plants to pale in colour. Like aphids, they also excrete honeydew, attracting black sooty mold fungus. Recently, these pests have been found to spread viruses."

"Although all whitefly tend to look alike, there are two major types - greenhouse whitefly and silverleaf whitefly (formerly sweetpotato whitefly). The greenhouse whitefly has been recorded on over 250 plants while the silverleaf whitefly attacks over 500 hosts. Adult greenhouse whitefly are slightly less than 1/8 inch long. They have a white, waxy coating and hold their wings parallel to the leaf surface. Adult silverleaf whitefly are slightly smaller than the greenhouse whitefly and have a yellowish hue. They hold their narrow wings at a 45-degree angle to the leaf surface."

"Although not as prevalent, other whitefly types include the bandedwing whitefly; the spiraling whitefly which attacks star apple and ornamental banana; the cloudywinged whitefly which can infest citrus, gardenia and Ficus; and the citrus whitefly which occurs on citrus and gardenia."

"Whitefly eggs are spindle-shaped and stand vertically on the leaf surface. For many species, eggs are white when first laid and turn dark grey (greenhouse whitefly) or amber-brown (silverleaf whitefly) with time. Eggs are deposited on the underside of leaves, sometimes in a circle or crescent-shaped patterns. After hatching, the "crawler" stage moves about on the plant looking for a feeding site. At temperatures between 65 and 75F, it takes less than 40 days to develop from egg to adult. Mating is not necessary for egg production and a female may lay up to 200 eggs."

"Thankfully, there
... read the whole article