#whitefly

Day 26 Whitefly

Whitefly are a common site and woe for vegetable gardeners and agricultural farmers. I remember my dad cursing out their name as they munched on his brassicas… but… how bad can they be?!

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For a story I'm half working on. Terraforth's 6 section leaders.

Characters from left to right under cut + a better size ref. ->

Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)

Aphid (species unknown)

Eggplant leafroller moth (Lineodes integra)

Unknown lepidoptera species

Mediterranean red bug (Scantius aegyptius)

Armyworm moth (Mythimna unipuncta)

Fly in Sarcophagidae family

Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

Springtail (species unknown)

@siren-boyfriend submitted: a collection of backyard friends i've found over the past week or two!

my assumptions are a ladybug larva, some orb weavers, a whitefly, a caterpillar of some sort, and the cute faces of both a cellar spider and a house spider who were safely transported to nice dark little nooks outside!

southern california for any ids (particularly the caterpillar if you know!)

⚘ 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒔

Floral Index Entry - Torenia fournieri, “Bluewings, Wishbone flower”

Fauna If you’re willing on growing a garden, this flower is good for attracting bees, and other pollinators. Highly beneficial.

There are many species of Apoidea, “Bees” That pollinate this plant. Some species I saw include: Trigona carbonaria “Native Stingless Bees”, Amegilla cingulata “Blue-banded bee”, and the Honey bee “Apis mellifera”. The flower can also attract humming birds.

Pests This flower is a meal for the infamous Spodoptera litura, keep an eye out for the caterpillar. The best method of controlling caterpillars, would be to just pick them off by hand. This caterpillar is usually found in the bud of the flower, but later instars are easier to spot on the leaves and stems, eating away at the flower and its petals.

There are also various fungal infections the plant like “Powdery Mildew”, but good growing conditions and air flow can prevent this.

Aphids and Whiteflies are also major pests. Eucalyptus oil can work well as pest control.

Appearance The flowers themselves can come in many different colours, usually ranging from pink, purple to white and yellow. The leaves and stem have a very distinct shade of lime green.

Miscellaneous information

Taxonomy: Order: Lamiales; Family Linderniaceae; Genus Torenia

Soil: Soil must be rich with organic matter, as well as moist. Loam is recommended.

Sun/Atmosphere: Partial shade and/or Full shade. The plants DO NOT like excessive humidity and heat. The best temperatures for the plants is 21-24C during the day, 18-20C at night.

Water: Moderate watering, whenever you see the soil dry, really.

Type: Annual, plant after spring when there’s snowy winters.