whitefly

American  

[hwahyt-flahy, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˌflaɪ, ˈwaɪt- /

noun

plural

whiteflies

1. any of several plant-sucking, homopterous insects of the family Aleyrodidae, having the body and wings dusted with a white, powdery wax, and being widely distributed chiefly in tropical regions where they are often serious crop pests, as Dialeurodes citri citrus whitefly, commonly occurring on citrus trees, and Trialeurodes vaporariorum greenhouse whitefly, inhabiting greenhouses.

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whitefly British  

/ ˈwaɪtˌflaɪ /

noun

1. any hemipterous insect of the family Aleyrodidae, typically having a body covered with powdery wax. Many are pests of greenhouse crops

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Etymology

Origin of whitefly

First recorded in 1885–90; white + fly ¹

Example Sentences

Published in the journal Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, a new study reveals rare whitefly insect fossils have been found in Miocene age crater lake sediments at Hindon Maar, near Dunedin.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

"Fossils of adult whitefly insects are not uncommon, but it takes extraordinary circumstances for the puparia -- the protective shell the insect emerges from -- to become fossilised," Dr Kaulfuss says.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

I do draw the line at the whitefly.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2016

Deltamethrin is targeted at aphids, mealy bugs, whitefly, fruit moths, caterpillars on field crops, roaches, horseflies, mosquitoes and fleas.

From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2010

Other researchers are cross-breeding the poinsettia whitefly with more innocuous varieties in hopes of developing a mild-mannered hybrid that might displace the Superbug.

From Time Magazine Archive