/hwuyt"fluy', wuyt"-/ , n. , pl. whiteflies .
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.
[ 1885-90; WHITE + FLY 2 ]