The nymphal stage appears glassy to opaque yellow. Its body is flattened and scale-like with the edge of the body relatively near the leaf surface. The pupa or fourth nymphal instar will be somewhat darker beige-yellow and opaque. Direct damage results from their feeding activity, which involves them sucking plant sap. Both the adults and nymphs contribute to direct damage.
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.