Whiteflies: 12 photos of the pest and ways to get rid of small insects

What does a whitefly look like (photo)

Description of the insect

Name: Whitewoods
Latin: Aleyrodidae

Class: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Hemiptera - Hemiptera
Family: Whitewoods

	Habitats:	throughout the site, including enclosed spaces
	Dangerous for:	vegetables, fruits and berries
	Means of destruction:	chemicals, folk methods

Whiteflies are a family of small flying insects that includes over 1500 species. The scientific name of whiteflies, aleurodids, comes from the Greek word "aleuron", which means "flour".

Appearance of whiteflies

The whitefly is resting.

Whiteflies belong to the group of homoptera insects. They have two pairs of wings covered with a white coating. On the surface there may be patterns in the form of black spots. When resting, whiteflies fold their wings horizontally along their body.

The body of the insect does not exceed 2-3 mm in length and 0,3-0,7 mm in width. Its color, depending on the species, can be white or reddish-yellow with dark dots.

Features of reproduction

One adult female, under favorable conditions, is able to lay up to 3 hundred eggs. The breeding season for insects begins with the advent of stable warm weather. During the year, the number of generations of whiteflies can reach up to 15.

Insect development cycle is incomplete and includes the following steps:

• egg;
• mobile larvae of the 6st age, having XNUMX pairs of limbs and antennae;
• immobile larvae of II and III instars with atrophied legs and antennae;
• IV instar larvae or pseudopupae;
• imago or adult.

Lifestyle and diet

Adult individuals of whiteflies are mainly engaged in reproduction, but larvae of I-III instars have a good appetite and spend most of their time on the surface of fodder plants. The basis of their diet is vegetable juices. These insects are the most dangerous for the following crops:

The most common types of whiteflies

Among the huge number of whiteflies, the most There are 5 main types:

• greenhouse or greenhouse whitefly, which harms cucumbers, tomatoes and some flowers;
• citrus whitefly, which poses a serious danger to plants of the same genus;
• strawberry whitefly is a dangerous pest for strawberries, wild strawberries and other plants of this genus;
• cabbage whitefly feeds on the juices of celandine, milkweed and other herbs, and can also cause serious damage to cabbage;
• the tobacco whitefly, which is the most common throughout the world and uses the juices of a wide variety of plants to feed.

insect habitat

Various types of whiteflies are found in the following regions:

These insects choose to live in warm and humid areas. The maximum number of individuals and varieties of whiteflies can be found in countries with a tropical and subtropical climate.

A small pest also happily settles in rooms where conditions suitable for it were artificially created by man, for example:

Signs of the appearance of whiteflies

Whiteflies are very small and not easy to spot. Most often, they give themselves away due to the appearance of characteristic marks on the affected plants. Signs of the presence and activity of this pest may be as follows:

• the lower part of the leaves of the plant is covered with translucent insect larvae, similar to scales;
• the appearance on different parts of plants of a sticky coating or the so-called "honey dew";
• leaf damage by soot fungus;
• yellowing and curling of leaves;
• retardation of plant growth and development.

Causes of appearance on plants

Most often, pests damage plants that do not receive proper attention or have a weakened immune system. There are several main reasons for the appearance of whiteflies.

Whitefly Control Methods

The whitefly infects plants that grow both outdoors and indoors. Due to the fact that the conditions for pest control can be different, the methods can differ significantly from each other. However, as is the case with most other pests, all methods can be divided into three main categories:

• the use of specialized chemicals;
• mechanical methods of insect control;
• folk recipes.

11 ways to kill the whitefly

Conclusion

Small populations of whiteflies are unlikely to cause much harm to plants, but the fight against winged insects should not be postponed until later. These small pests reproduce quickly enough. Within a few months, their number can increase several hundred times, and then they will pose a serious threat to the future harvest.