The wings and body are covered with a fine white powdery wax. They are light green to whitish and somewhat transparent. Approximately 100 species of whiteflies occur in the United States and Canada. There are over 1,150 species world-wide, mostly in the tropics. Eggs hatch in five to seven days into the first nymphal stage known as a crawler .
Crawlers are pale green in color and move about the leaf seeking a suitable feeding site.
They locate a site, insert their long thread-like mouthparts into the lower leaf surface, become immobile and soon molt , loosing their legs and antennae . The resulting larvae are flat, oval, pale-green and nearly transparent. They resemble pale-green scales. After two additional molts, they pupate and the adults emerge. There are several generations per year.