Heavy infestations cause leaf wilting. The resulting dark splotches on the leaves may reduce photosynthesis and other physiological functions of the plant. The silverleaf whitefly carries and spreads several important viral diseases of tomatoes, lettuce and melons in the southeastern United States. The number of eggs laid by each female over her lifetime varies considerably but appears to be around 80 to 100. 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.