What is the typical whitefly life cycle?
All whiteflies have a similar lifecycle. They pass through four instars or stages from egg to adult. Eggs are usually laid on the under surface of the leaf and may be laid randomly, in circles or arcs, or spirals. Some species of whiteflies deposit extensive amounts of wax around their eggs. The eggs hatch into a stage called a crawler. This is the only mobile stage, except for the adult, in the life cycle. The crawlers wander around the leaf until they find a vein into which they can insert their mouthparts and begin sucking sap from the plant. From this point until they emerge as adults, they are immobile and remain in the same location on the plant. The sessile nymphs pass through two additional feeding stages. The nymphs are usually oval or oval-elongate in shape, and are simple in appearance. Legs and antennae are reduced to only one segment and are generally not even visible. Nymphs may be yellowish or black in color. Yellowish individuals are normally associated with herbaceous
