Once they begin feeding, they tuck their legs and antennae underneath their bodies and settle down closely to the leaf surface and do not move again. Crawlers molt into scale-like nymphs that also suck out sap. Nymphs molt a second and third time. The fourth stage eventually becomes a nonfeeding pupa. The adult whitefly develops within the pupa.
Adults emerge from the pupa through a T-shaped slit about a month from the time the egg was laid.
Females live about two weeks. Tomatoes should be planted in well-prepared, fertile beds, mulched and properly watered to promote vigorous growth. Stressed plants tend to attract more insect pests than healthy plants. In a home garden, handpicking and destroying many pests is an effective control measure. In addition, beneficial insects are very helpful in controlling insects such as aphids, leafminers and hornworms.