Silverleaf whitefly
| Silverleaf whitefly | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Family: | Aleyrodidae |
| Genus: | Bemisia |
| Species: | B. tabaci |
| Binomial name | |
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Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring |
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Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring
The silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, also informally referred to as the sweetpotato whitefly) is one of several whiteflies that are currently important agricultural pests. The silverleaf whitefly is classified in the family Aleyrodidae, and is included in the large sub-order of insects, Sternorrhyncha. A review in 2011 concluded that the silverleaf whitefly is actually a species complex containing at least 24 morphologically indistinguishable species.
The silverleaf whitefly thrives worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and less predominately in temperate habitats. Cold temperatures kill both the adults and the larvae of the species. The silverleaf whitefly can be confused with other insects such as the common fruitfly, but with close inspection, the whitefly is slightly smaller and has a distinct wing color that helps to differentiate it from other insects.
While the silverleaf whitefly had been known in the United States since 1896, in the mid-1980s a virulent strain appeared in poinsettia crops in Florida. For convenience that strain was referred to as strain B (biotype B), to distinguish it from the milder infestation of the earlier known strain A. Less than a year after its identification, strain B was found to have moved to tomatoes, and other fruit and vegetable crops. Within five years, the silverleaf whitefly had caused over $100 million in damage to Texas and California agriculture industries.
During the adult stages of the silverleaf whitefly, the body expands up to 0.8mm in length and has a snow-white color, which is attributed by the secretion of wax across its wings and body. During feeding or resting stages the whitefly adult covers its body over with its wings. When depositing eggs, the females will lay 50 to 400 eggs ranging from 0.10mm-0.25mm on the under part of leaves. Female whiteflies are diploid and emerge from fertilized eggs whereas male whiteflies are haploid and emerge from unfertilized eggs. Eggs are laid in groups, being small in size with dimensions of 0.2 mm wide and .1mm in height. Eggs are initially whitish in color and change to a brown color towards the time of hatching within 5 to 7 days. After the egg stage, the whitefly hatchling develops through four instar stages.
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Wikipedia