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Cotton Insect Management Guide
Cotton Insect Management GuideTeaching, Research, Extension and Service
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Whiteflies

Silverleaf whitefly adults and eclosed pupae

Silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii
Bandedwing whitefly, Trialeurodes abutilonea

Silverleaf whitefly (SLWF) and bandedwing whitefly (BWWF) are the two most common whitefly species that infest Texas cotton.

Both whitefly species are similar in appearance and basic biology. The adults of both species resemble tiny white moths with yellowish bodies, about 1/16 to 1/10 of an inch long. Their wings fold roof-like over their abdomens. The SLWF (Fig. 71) has solid white wings, and the BWWF has grayish-brown colored bands across its wings.

Whiteflies Life CycleThe nymphs are flat, scale-like insects, usually about 1/30 of an inch long (Fig. 72). The immatures feed with sucking mouthparts on the underside of leaves. Damage ranges from stunted growth and reduced plant vigor during the early season to reduced plant vigor, honeydew deposited on open cotton lint (sticky cotton), and prema-

ture defoliation during the mid and late season. Like aphid honeydew, whitefly honeydew is a food source for black sooty molds that can stain lint and reduce fiber quality. Heavy whitefly infestations can severely reduce cotton yield.

Scouting

Bandedwing whitefly adult (top) and fouth instar nymph (bottom)

To sample for whiteflies:

  • Examine the underside of at least 30 key leaves (leaves located at the fifth node down from the terminal) and note how many leaves are infested with at least three
  • Use a hand lens to examine a quarter-sized area on the underside of the leaf between the main middle vein and one of the main lateral
  • Note how many hand-lens views contain at least one large whitefly nymph (third and fourth instars).

Chemical Control and Action Thresholds

Insecticide option Silverleaf whitefly
Adulticide When ≥40% of the 5th node leaves are infested with 3 or more adults
Insect growth regulator (IGR) When ≥40% of the 5th node leaves are

infested with 3 or more adults and nymphs are present

When ≥40% of quarter- sized disks* contain at least one large nymph
Cotton Stage Bandedwing whitefly
Before open bolls 50 whitefly nymphs per 5th node leaf
After open bolls 25 whitefly nymphs per 5th node leaf
*Quarter-sized area taken between the main middle vein and one of the main lateral veins from a 5th node leaf
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