- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
Published on: June 17, 2021
![Three white and orange insects with waxy strands covering a leaf.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/82405small.jpg)
Adult giant whiteflies (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)
The giant whitefly is not a gargantuan monster out of an old sci-fi movie, although it is quite a bit larger compared to other whiteflies. Whiteflies are typically tiny insects that are hard to spot on plants unless they are flying, but the giant whitefly is more obvious. Giant whitefly adults produces spirals of wax on leaves and as the infestation grows, so do the waxy deposits, and soon a susceptible plant can be covered in waxy strands.
This insect is a serious pest of many ornamental plants including begonia, hibiscus, and lantana, as well as on some fruits and vegetables. The giant whitefly sucks out the plant's sap and excretes honeydew, damaging plants and causing...
Public Value:
UCANR: Promoting healthy people and communities
Tags: giant whitefly (1), insects (19), Kabashima (1), landscape (62), pest management (136), pest notes (118), pests (73), Redak (1), Schoeller (1), UC IPM (373)
Focus Area Tags: Pest Management, Yard & Garden
Comments: 0
Viewing -3--3 of 1