Greenhouse whitefly

Definition

A small, sap-sucking hemipteran in the family Aleyrodidae, scientifically Trialeurodes vaporariorum, that infests protected horticultural environments worldwide. Adults are 1–2 mm, yellowish, with four wax-coated wings held roof-like over the body; nymphs are sessile and feed on phloem, excreting honeydew that promotes sooty mold. It is a primary pest of tomato, cucumber, poinsettia, and numerous other fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops under glass or plastic.

Etymology

From the horticultural environment where it proliferates (greenhouse/glasshouse) and the family name whitefly, referring to the powdery wax coating on wings.

Example

Integrated pest management in tomato greenhouses often combines Encarsia formosa parasitoids with yellow sticky traps to suppress greenhouse whitefly populations before viral transmission occurs.

Synonyms

• glasshouse whitefly
• Trialeurodes vaporariorum

Related Terms

• whitefly
• Aleyrodidae
• Encarsia formosa
• honeydew
• Sooty mold
• Integrated Pest Management
• phloem feeder

Usage Notes

Distinguished from the silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, a complex of cryptic species) by wing posture—greenhouse whitefly wings are held flatter, nearly parallel to the leaf surface, whereas Bemisia wings fold more steeply roof-like. The common name is sometimes hyphenated (greenhouse-whitefly) but usually appears as two words. Not a true fly (Diptera) but a hemipteran in the suborder Sternorrhyncha.