Whitefly Overview

There are more that 1550 species of Whiteflies and at least 60 have been reported in Florida but the most common in South Florida are;

Ficus Whitefly
Rugose Spiraling Whitefly (Gumbo Limbo Spiraling Whitefly)
Bondar’s Nesting Whitefly
Silverleaf Whitefly (Sweetpotato whitefly)

Not only are Ficus plants and Gumbo Limbos effected by these Whiteflies, but also Palm Trees, houseplants, greenhouse plants, fruits and vegetables.

Whiteflies reproduce quickly, spread at a rapid rate and susceptible plants can be quickly overwhelmed. These insects carry and can spread diseases to other plants.

BEWARE: Nothing changes overnight and it sometimes takes time for plant recovery

General Whiteflies in Florida

The Whitefly is a tiny insect, resembling a moth that feeds by tapping into the phloem of plants, introducing toxic saliva that decreases the plants’ overall life. It also secretes honeydew that encourages mold growth and/or ants. Honeydew and sooty mold can also cover non-plant surfaces from nearby infested plants.

Detecting infestation early on can be difficult with the naked eye, so we recommend calling for a professional evaluation of your plants. If your plants have yellow leaves, are losing leaves, or you see Whitefly “skins” on the leaves, call immediately to request treatment. You will also be able to detect just by shaking the plant to see the Whiteflies fly off the leaves.

Typical Whitefly Life Cycle Various Nymph Stages

Silverleaf Whitefly - Bemisia tabaci Citrus Whitefly - Dialeurodes citri Giant Whitefly - Aleurodicus dugesii

Bondar’s Nesting Whitefly - Paraleyrodes bondari

The Bonder’s nesting whitefly has been found in Florida in December 2011

Broward Collier
Lee
Miami-Dade
Palm Beach

Hosts

• avocado

• banyan tree

• canary laurel or barbusano

• Chinese hibiscus

• coconut palm

• guava

• Indian laurel

• lemon

• navel orange

• mandarin orange

• palms in the genus Chamaedorea

• Surinam cherry

• sweetsop

• sapote

• tilo or stinkwood

• weeping fig

They are native to South America and the Caribbean and have been detected in Madeira, Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion, Taiwan, Hawaii, Portugal.

Damage Bottom of Leaves

Top of Leaves

Ficus Whitefly Singhiella simplex (Fig Whitefly)

They have been detected in Florida since 2009 in Miami-Dade County and then spreading to Broward, Monroe, Indian River, and Polk Counties. They are native to Central America.

Damage

Rugose Spiraling WhiteflyAleurodicus rugioperculatus (Gumbo Limbo Whitefly)

They have been detected in Florida since 2009 in Miami-Dade County and then spreading to Broward, Monroe, Indian River, and Polk Counties. They are native to Central America.