They are generally found at the top of the plant. Females start laying eggs within 1 to 2 days, and may lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Photo by Oscar Minkenberg Length of the life cycle depends on temperature, ranging from 4 weeks at 27 C to over 8 weeks at 14 C degrees. Damage is caused by flies and larvae sucking the leaf sap, which can cause stunting, leaf drop, and reduced yield. Honeydew deposits on fruit are sticky and can mold, making the fruit unmarketable.
Greenhouse whitefly can transmit viruses.
And although whiteflies cannot hibernate, the eggs of the greenhouse whitefly can survive for about 5 days at temperatures of -6 C. Bemisia tabaci Tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci , also known as the sweetpotato, silverleaf, or cotton whitefly, first occurred in Greece in 1889 on tobacco. It was discovered in Florida in 1900. It is the predominant pest on cotton in the United States due to the insects' increased resistance to insecticides. It resembles the greenhouse whitefly except it is slightly smaller and more yellowish, and holds its wings closer to its body. The lifecycles of the two species are quite similar.