Cabbage Whitefly vs Eye Gnat

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cabbage Whitefly Eye Gnat
Scientific Name Aleyrodes proletella Liohippelates pusio
Order Hemiptera Diptera
Family Aleyrodidae Chloropidae
Size 1-1.5 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Sap Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, North Africa, Western Asia Southern United States, Central America, Caribbean
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Cabbage Whitefly

A small white-winged insect that infests brassica crops, weakening plants with sap feeding and honeydew production. Populations have increased dramatically in European cabbage and kale crops.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most whiteflies, it thrives outdoors in cool temperate climates rather than in tropical greenhouses.

Eye Gnat

A tiny, shiny black fly attracted to eye and wound secretions of humans and animals. It is a suspected mechanical vector of bacterial conjunctivitis and yaws in tropical regions. Its persistent swarming around the face makes it an extremely annoying pest in agricultural areas.

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Did You Know?

These flies are so strongly attracted to eye secretions that they will persistently return to a person's face even after being brushed away dozens of times.