Insects Active during the day

Citrus Whitefly

Dialeurodes citri

iNaturalist

A tiny, snow-white marvel of the garden, the Citrus Whitefly creates miniature kingdoms on the underside of leaves. Watch as these 'dust-like' insects transform your backyard citrus trees into a bustling hub of activity.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Adults measure 1.5–2 mm (0.06–0.08 inches) in length with a wingspan of approximately 3 mm (0.12 inches)

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Colors

Snow-white wings and body covered in a fine waxy powder; nymphs are nearly translucent or pale light green

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Key Features

Tiny moth-like appearance with four white wings
Wings held in a flat, roof-like position over the body
Elliptical, scale-like nymphs found on leaf undersides
Cloud-like flight when host plants are disturbed

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 8-11 AM, 4-7 PM

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Season March-September

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Diet Phloem sap-suckers that feed on over 50 species of plants, with a strong preference for citrus, gardenia, privet, and chinaberry.

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Habitat Suburban gardens, commercial citrus groves, nurseries, and urban landscapes with evergreen host plants.

Behavior

The Citrus Whitefly is a highly social insect within its colonies, often found in massive numbers on the undersides of leaves. Despite their name, they are not true flies but are closely related to aphids and scales. They spend most of their life cycle as stationary nymphs, sucking sap from the host plant's vascular system. Adults are most active during the cooler parts of the day, frequently taking flight in fluttering 'clouds' if the foliage is shaken.

A defining behavior of this species is the excretion of honeydew—a sticky, sugar-rich liquid. This byproduct coats the leaves below the colony, which often leads to the growth of black sooty mold. While they do not bite humans, their presence in suburban backyards is often noticed due to this mold or the sudden appearance of white specks flying around gardenias and citrus trees during the spring and summer months.

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Camera Tips

Capturing the Citrus Whitefly on a backyard camera requires a specialized approach due to their diminutive size. Standard trail cameras will likely miss them unless they have a dedicated macro mode or a close-focus lens attachment. For the best results, position your camera just 4 to 6 inches away from the underside of a leaf on a known host plant like a Gardenia or Lemon tree. Ensure the camera is stabilized on a tripod or a firm branch to avoid motion blur at this close range.

Lighting is your biggest challenge and best friend when filming whiteflies. Because they are bright white and somewhat reflective, direct midday sun can blow out the detail. Try to capture them in the soft, angled light of early morning or late afternoon. If your camera has a manual exposure setting, dial it down slightly to preserve the texture of their waxy wings. If you are looking to capture action, setting your camera to a high-frame-rate video mode can reveal the frantic, fluttering flight patterns that are too fast for the human eye to track.

To attract a large group for a 'hero shot,' look for the 'spring flush'—the period when host plants put out new, tender green growth. This is where females prefer to lay their eggs. If you want to trigger a 'cloud' effect for a dramatic video, you can set a timer-based recording and use a gentle mechanical vibrator or a simple string attached to a nearby branch to slightly shake the foliage, causing the adults to take flight simultaneously.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Citrus Whitefly.

Greenhouse Whitefly

Slightly smaller with wings held at a steeper, more vertical angle.

Giant Whitefly

Much larger (up to 4mm) and leaves long, hair-like waxy filaments on the foliage.

Silverleaf Whitefly

Wings are held with a slight gap at the top, showing the yellow body beneath.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Citrus Whitefly adults are most active during the daylight hours, particularly in the mid-morning and late afternoon when temperatures are warm but not scorching. They tend to settle and remain still on the undersides of leaves during the hottest part of the day and overnight.

You don't usually need to go out of your way to attract them; simply planting host species like Gardenia, Ligustrum (Privet), or any Citrus variety (Orange, Lemon, Lime) will naturally draw them in if they are present in your local environment.

They feed exclusively on plant sap. Using their needle-like mouthparts, both nymphs and adults pierce the phloem of leaves to drink the sugary fluid, which can eventually weaken the plant if the infestation is heavy.

Yes, they are extremely common in suburban landscapes, especially in USDA zones 8-11. They thrive in the 'urban heat island' effect and benefit from the abundance of ornamental evergreen plants found in neighborhood gardens.

It is difficult without magnification, but the Citrus Whitefly holds its wings flatter and more 'roof-like' over its back, whereas the Greenhouse Whitefly holds them at a more vertical, tent-like angle. Additionally, Citrus Whiteflies lack the faint gray spots sometimes found on other species.

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