Singhiella simplex (Singh)
Fig
Whitefly
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Defoliated Ficus hedge, Lake
Worth, Florida. |
An
exotic species of Whitefly said to
be a native of Burma, China and
India and first discovered in
Miami-Dade County in 2007 is
spreading through Florida like
wildfire and defoliating ficus trees
and hedges along the way.
Identification
The
adult Fig Whitefly is tiny
(about 1mm long), has a
yellow-colored body and wings that
are white with a faint grey band
towards the middle of the wing.
Immature stages (eggs, nymphs and
pupae) can be found on the top and
underside of leaves. The pupae are
small tan to light green discs with
red eyes measuring about 1.3 mm long
and 1 mm wide.
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Adult Fig Whiteflies |
Adult Fig Whiteflies, click
image to enlarge. |
The
leaves of ficus trees infested with
whiteflies begin to turn yellow
before the leaves are dropped from
the plant. Ficus trees without their
leaves are one of the most obvious
symptoms of a whitefly infestation.
This whitefly has been most commonly
found infesting weeping fig (Ficus
benjamina) but has also been seen on
F. altissima, F. bengalensis (also
called “banyan tree”), F. microcarpa,
and F. maclellandii. Weeping figs
are commony used as hedges but are
also grown as trees. Other hosts for
Singhiella simplex (Singh)include
the strangler fig (F. aurea), Cuban
laurel (F. microcarpa), fiddle-leaf
fig (F. lyrata) and banana-leaf fig
(F. macllandii). The Fig Whitefly
may eventually feed on other species
of ficus.
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Nymphs, pupae and shed skins on ficus
leaf. Click Image to
enlarge. |
Spider feeding on adult
Singhiella simplex (Singh).
Click Image to enlarge. |
If the
foliage of an infested plant is
disturbed the small, white gnat-like
adult whiteflies can be seen flying
from the foliage like a faint cloud
of white dust particles.
Life
Cycle
Eggs are laid on the
underside of leaves and hatch into a
crawler stage. The
crawler wanders around the leaf
until it begins to feed. From
this point until they emerge as
adults, they are immobile and remain
in the same place on the plant. These
feeding, non-mobile stages (nymphs)
are oval, flat, and simple in
appearance.
Control
Fig Whiteflys have
several natural enemies so consideration
of them must be taken regarding using
synthetic chemical controls. Over time
chemical controls become ineffective
while natural predators become more
numerous. Unfortunately, as you may be
able to judge from the images, Fig
Whiteflies reproduce incredibly
quickly, probably faster than their
natural enemies are able to devour them.
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Singhiella simplex (Singh)
predators. Click Images to
enlarge. |
Insecticidal soap or
oil sprays may be an effective
method of control for
homeowners --
thorough coverage of the undersides
of the leaves is very important. Applications
will need to be repeated every 7 to
10 days.
Other insecticides
that may control this pest are Bayer
Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control
(imidacloprid), Spectricide
Tree and Shrub Insect Control
(dinotefuran), Ortho Bug-B-Gon (bifenthrin),
Bayer Advanced Rose and Flower
Insect Killer (cyfluthrin), Sevin (carbaryl),
Malathion, and
Ortho’s Systemic Insect Killer
(Acephate).
Although a ficus tree
or hedge may appear to be dying
after being infested and losing most
of it leaves, it may still survive
the onslaught of these whiteflies'
feedings. The plant probably will
produce new leaves in a few weeks. As
soon as new growth is evident,
applying a systemic insecticide may
provide protection to the new growth
as repeated Fig Whitefly
infestations may eventually weaken
and kill these plants.
Sources:
The Fig Whitefly – A New Pest in
South Florida,
The Fig Whitefly Singhiella simplex
(Singh) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae): A
New Exotic Whitefly Found on Ficus
Species in South Florida |
