Rugose Spiraling Whitefly
White-wax pest that coats palms, ficus and gumbo-limbo and drips sooty mold.
Photo: Jesse Rorabaugh (CC0) · public domain/CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Tiny white flying insects that lay eggs in distinctive spiral patterns coated in white wax on the undersides of leaves; heavy infestations leave a white, fuzzy buildup.
Ficus hedges, coconut and other palms, gumbo-limbo, and many ornamentals across coastal Florida.
- White waxy spirals on the undersides of leaves
- Black sooty mold on leaves, cars and pavement below
- Sticky honeydew coating surfaces under the canopy
- Whiteflies clouding up when branches are shaken
While rarely fatal on its own, severe infestations stress and can kill ficus hedges and palms, and the sooty mold ruins curb appeal and coats everything beneath the canopy.
Rhino treats with a systemic the plant carries into new growth plus a contact knockdown for the existing population, on a schedule that protects the canopy through the season.
Our Whitefly Control service