Arctic Flower Fly vs Citrus Whitefly
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Arctic Flower Fly | Citrus Whitefly |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Platycheirus melanopsis | Dialeurodes citri |
| Order | Diptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Syrphidae | Aleyrodidae |
| Size | 5-8 mm | 1-2 mm |
| Habitat | Meadows | Orchards |
| Diet | Herbivores | Herbivores |
| Regions | Arctic Canada, Alaska, Greenland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia | Asia (native), North America, Europe, Africa (introduced) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Arctic Flower Fly
A small hover fly with a dark body and distinctive pale facial markings. It is an important pollinator of Arctic wildflowers. Larvae are predatory on aphids in tundra vegetation.
Did You Know?
This hover fly is one of the most important pollinators in the High Arctic where bees are scarce or absent.
Citrus Whitefly
A small white-winged whitefly that is a common pest of citrus trees. Adults gather on the undersides of leaves, and heavy infestations promote sooty mold growth from honeydew.
Did You Know?
It was one of the first insects to be successfully controlled by classical biological control, using the parasitoid wasp Encarsia lahorensis imported from Asia.