Sweet Potato Whitefly

Sweet Potato Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
The sweet potato whitefly, also called the silverleaf whitefly, is a destructive pest to cotton and vegetable crops. This moth-like organism is found primarily in Florida, Gulf Coast states, Arizona, and California.

The females lay eggs on the underside of leaves where they spend the majority of their lives. When leaves on a host plant are rustled, the sweet potato whiteflies flutter up, and then settle back down onto the plant. They feed on nutrients in the plant, sucking the sap out and secreting honeydew. The honeydew is sometimes the cause of sooty mold on plants. The adult moth is about mm long with a wingspan of about 2-3 mm, and their yellowish wings and bodies are covered with fine, white, waxy particles.

The sweet potato whitefly is often mistaken for the greenhouse whitefly. Damage on plants includes yellowing of leaves accompanied by curling and stunted growth.

For control products and more information please see our Whitefly Control page.