What to observe

• Small pale adults flying from disturbed foliage
• Flattened immature stages on leaf undersides
• Honeydew and associated surface growth where populations are high
• General decline or chlorosis that tracks with infestation intensity

Common look-alikes

• Small moth-like insects
• Scale insects or residue on leaf undersides
• Aphid-related honeydew
• Non-pest chlorosis

Evidence that improves confirmation

• Inspect adults and immature stages
• Use sticky cards for trend data, not as the sole identification tool
• Check whether symptoms spatially correspond with actual colonies

Risk context

• Protected environments can allow continuous reproduction
• New plants can introduce hidden immature stages
• Honeydew can create secondary cleanliness and microbial concerns

Management principles

• Strengthen incoming-plant inspection
• Remove heavily infested material where site policy allows
• Monitor adult and immature stages separately
• Use lawful, crop-appropriate controls and verify population trends

Keep the conclusion proportional to the evidence

Use a confirmed identification when available. When evidence is incomplete, label the conclusion as a suspicion or differential rather than presenting it as proven.

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