As growth and molts of the nymphs occur they will secrete a marginal fringe of translucent wax filaments, and the dorsal medial area of the integument turns brown. This dark area in the dorsal integument readily distinguishes the bandedwinged whitefly from the greenhouse whitefly. The bandedwinged whitefly is now considered a polyphagous feeder. Some common weed hosts are Ambrosia , Bidens , and Sida . The most frequent ornamental hosts in the Southeast are Hibiscus spp.
Infested plants become chlorotic and unthrifty from sap removal.
Honeydew and sooty mold also detract from the aesthetics of the crop. Successful management of whiteflies requires an integrated program that focuses on prevention and relies on cultural and biological control methods when possible. While insecticides will be required in most programs, they should be selected carefully and used only when shown to be needed by a regular monitoring program. Insecticide applications often fail to provide adequate control and whiteflies are able to rapidly increase in numbers when conditions are ideal. An integrated pest management program, combining the use of cultural and biological methods and selective insecticides when necessary, is essential for effective management of whiteflies in greenhouses.