The body and wings of adults are covered with a fine, whitish powdery wax, opaque in appearance.
Whiteflies colonize on the underside of leaves.
Clouds of small white insects fly up when plants are disturbed. Silverleaf whiteflies generally are not a serious problem in beans. When present, infestations are frequently restricted to small areas and to the field edge. Infested leaves will be slightly curled and copious quantities of honeydew may be deposited on leaves, resulting in a sticky, shiny appearance. Silverleaf whitefly is an introduced pest that has escaped its natural enemies.