Sooty mold can make fruit unmarketable and can block sunlight from reaching the leaf surface thus reducing photosynthesis. Whitefly adults can also transmit several viruses from diseased to healthy plants. These viruses are important mainly in commercial agriculture, but plants in backyard gardens and the landscape can also be effected. The most economically important whitefly transmitted viruses are the gemini viruses, so called because the virus particle is composed of twin identical appearing spheres. When populations are extremely high, large numbers of adults swarming around may become a pest during outdoor activities.
All whiteflies have a similar lifecycle .
They pass through four instars or stages from egg to adult. Eggs are usually laid on the under surface of the leaf and may be laid randomly, in circles or arcs, or spirals. Some species of whiteflies deposit extensive amounts of wax around their eggs. The eggs hatch into a stage called a crawler. This is the only mobile stage, except for the adult, in the life cycle.