whitefly

[ hwahyt-flahy, wahyt- ]

noun

, plural white·flies.

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.

whitefly

/ ˈwaɪtˌflaɪ /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of whitefly¹

First recorded in 1885–90; white + fly ¹

Example Sentences

That consistent exposure primes the system to be ready for this kind of event, she says, which ultimately allowed whiteflies to use this plant defense gene against its maker.

From Science News

Such a drastic effect suggests this gene plays an important role in helping whiteflies bypass plant defenses, Turlings says.

From Science News

There are so many barriers a gene must overcome to move from a plant to an insect, but this study clearly shows that it happened, and that the gene provides a benefit to whiteflies.

From Science News

“The lives of whiteflies and their plant hosts are closely intertwined,” says Shannon Soucy, an evolutionary microbiologist at Dartmouth College who wasn’t involved in the research.

From Science News

Once ingested by whiteflies, the RNA was designed to disable their BtPMaT1 gene.

From Science News