Whiteflies

Egg masses of spiralling whitefly on leaf (E. Vasquez).

Sweetpotato whitefly adults  on leaf (E. Vasquez).

Diagnostic summary

• What they do to plants

- whiteflies and their nymphs feeds on the undersurface of leaves by sucking the plant sap.

 - high whitefly population may cause yellowing and necrosis of infested leaves.

• What you see on  plants

- nymphs appear as small white scale-like objects on the undersurface of leaves. When plant is shaken, a cloud of tiny moth-like insects flutter out but rapidly resettle.

- sooty mould may develop on the leaf surface due to honeydew produced by whiteflies.  The surface becomes coated with a blackish powder and expanding leaves may be distorted.

• More important as a transmitter of viruses such as sweetpotato mild mottle virus, sweetpotato yellow dwarf disease, sweetpotato leaf curl, and particularly sweetpotato chlorotic stunt virus, a key component of sweetpotato virus disease.

• More common during dry season.

• Found worldwide.

Taxonomy

Economic importance

Geographical distribution

Damage

Morphology

Biology and ecology

Detection and inspection

Host range

Management

References

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