Almost all greenhouse crops are susceptible to whitefly infestation. Adult females lay spindle-shaped eggs on the undersides of mature leaves. Eggs hatch into crawlers that insert threadlike mouthparts into the lower leaf surface and feed on plant fluids. Feeding may result in leaf yellowing, stunting, wilting or death. The pests create honeydew, which causes sooty mold.

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The most common types are the silverleaf (Bemisia argentifolii), greenhouse (Trialeurodes vaporariorum), the Q- and B-biotype (B. tabaci) and the banded-wing whitefly (T. abutilonia).

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