Aleyrodoidea

Definition

A monotypic superfamily of sap-feeding Hemiptera containing the single family Aleyrodidae (whiteflies). The group comprises small, powdery-winged insects that are significant agricultural pests and plant-virus vectors.

Etymology

From Aleyrodes (type genus) + -oidea (superfamily suffix).

Example

Bemisia tabaci, the sweetpotato whitefly, belongs to Aleyrodoidea and is one of the most economically damaging members of this superfamily due to its transmission of begomoviruses.

Related Terms

• Aleyrodidae
• Hemiptera
• whitefly
• Sternorrhyncha
• phloem feeder

Usage Notes

Aleyrodoidea is a monotypic superfamily—unusual among Hemiptera—containing only Aleyrodidae. Some older classifications treated whiteflies as a subfamily within Aphidoidea, but molecular and morphological evidence supports their elevation to separate superfamilies. The group is sometimes grouped with aphids, scale insects, and adelgids in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, though higher-level relationships remain under study.