Bandedwinged Whitefly
Trialeurodes abutilonea (Haldeman)
DESCRIPTION
The adult bandedwinged whitefly is pale yellow with a tinge of green on the thorax. It received its name because the front pair of wings have two irregular zigzag smoky-grey lines transversely across each wing. When folded these zigzag lines appear continuous from wing to wing. No bands are present on the hind pair of wings. Except for the banded front wings, the adult is very similar to the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum.
Eggs are usually laid irregularly, but at other times are laid in neat circles. Freshly laid eggs are pale yellow and turn pale pink just before hatching. After the mobile first instar settles down, it begins to secrete a wax fringe which eventually becomes the vertical side walls of the so-called pupal case. As growth and molts of the nymphs occur they will secrete a marginal fringe of translucent wax filaments, and the dorsal medial area of the integument turns brown. This dark area in the dorsal integument readily distinguishes the bandedwinged whitefly from the greenhouse whitefly.
HOST PLANTS
The bandedwinged whitefly is now considered a polyphagous feeder. Some common weed hosts are Ambrosia, Bidens, and Sida. The most frequent ornamental hosts in the Southeast are Hibiscus spp.
DAMAGE
The bandedwinged whitefly is an occasional economic pest of ornamental plants. Infested plants become chlorotic and unthrifty from sap removal. Honeydew and sooty mold also detract from the aesthetics of the crop.
CONTROL
Management of whiteflies is difficult. Successful management of whiteflies requires an integrated program that focuses on prevention and relies on cultural and biological control methods when possible. While insecticides will be required in most programs, they should be selected carefully and used only when shown to be needed by a regular monitoring program. Insecticide applications often fail to provide adequate control and whiteflies are able to rapidly increase in numbers when conditions are ideal. An integrated pest management program, combining the use of cultural and biological methods and selective insecticides when necessary, is essential for effective management of whiteflies in greenhouses. Maintain and monitor yellow sticky traps to detect invasions early.
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Parts of this material may be reproduced for educational use. Please credit "United States Department
of Agriculture, WHITEFLY KNOWLEDGEBASE"
