Whiteflies
Aleyrodidae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera
- Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
- Superfamily: Aleyrodoidea
- Family: Aleyrodidae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Aleyrodidae: //ˌæləˈrɒdɪdae//
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Images
Summary
Aleyrodidae, commonly known as whiteflies, is a family of small, sap-sucking insects closely related to aphids and scale insects. They play significant roles in agricultural ecosystems as pests, primarily affecting leaf crops and vectoring plant viruses.
Physical Characteristics
Adults usually <3 mm long, winged, and covered with a white dust or waxy powder. The legs are well-developed and gracile, with tarsi having two segments. The wings have reduced venation, with only one conspicuous unbranched vein in each wing for many species. Some species show sexual dimorphism, with the male being much larger than the female in some giant tropical species. Ocelli are positioned at the anterior margins of the compound eyes, which show a distinct constriction or complete separation between the upper and lower halves.
Identification Tips
Identification to genus or species usually requires close examination of the pupa (inactive last nymphal stage). Distinction between species can be made by the structure of the compound eyes and the wing venation, which varies among different genera.
Habitat
Predominantly found on the undersides of plant leaves.
Distribution
Approximately 1,600 species in ~160 genera worldwide.
Diet
Feed on phloem sap from plant leaves. They harbor symbiotic proteobacterium Portiera aleyrodidarum that assists in obtaining amino acids.
Life Cycle
Life cycle includes an egg stage, four larval instars (the first being mobile and subsequent instars becoming sessile), a pupal stage retained within the larval skin and finally, the emergence of the adult from the pupa.
Reproduction
Eggs are laid in spiral patterns or arcs on the host plant. Some species can reproduce parthenogenically with the primary reproductive method being arrhenotoky.
Predators
Natural predators include green lacewings, ladybirds, minute pirate bugs, big-eyed bugs, and phytoseiid mites.
Ecosystem Role
Play a role in plant metabolism by feeding on sap, while also interacting with and possibly benefiting predatory species.
Economic Impact
Major agricultural pests estimated to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in losses annually due to both direct feeding and viral disease transmission.
Evolution
Oldest members belong to the subfamily Bernaeinae from the Middle/Upper Jurassic-Upper Cretaceous, with extant subfamilies Aleyrodinae and Aleurodicinae appearing in the Lower Cretaceous.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
Commonly confused with other small pests; often incorrectly referred to as 'Aleurodidae', the correct term is Aleyrodidae.
Tags
- Aleyrodidae
- whiteflies
- sap-sucking insects
- agricultural pests
- insect taxonomy