CLOSED: Are these aphids or white flies?

Hello everyone!

I recently potted some sunflowers in the backyard and it seems that they are under attack. At first there were little black things on the undersides of the leaves turning the leaves yellow then black (and they would eventually fall off). I sprayed the leaves with a solution of water and mild soap and it seams to of gotten rid of most of the bugs that were on the underside of the leaves, including white growths along the stems. The only things I can't seem to get rid of are these little white/gray fly type bugs that are sitting on top of the leaves. I can flick them off, but they just seem to come back.

I've read that a solution of water and vegetable oil may work against aphids, but I would rather find out what kind of bug this is first before trying any remedies.

Thanks for your help!!

The image in the photo is too fuzzy for me to really make put, but one possibility is that they could be lace bugs (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Tingidae - see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG326 for some examples.

It is not white flies, I have had the same bug that you have in the picture on some brugs and have no idea what it is. I just squish them, they remind me of some little cotton fuzzy ball with a little tail.
I think I may have a picture so you can see if it is the same.

is this it?

This may be clearer

Fleurone, yours I think is a mealybug, just as persistent a pest that sucks the juice of our plants! The thing seem to morph bigger every season! I use rubbing alcohol on a q-tip on mild infestation. It works quite nicely.

oooops, not that! I meant isn't mealybug as I thought. Mealybug don't have those legs, lol. Sorry.

Thanks Lily love, I just find odd ones and squish them but the rubbing alcohol tip will be handy to know. I have only seen them on the brugs on the pool deck which is screened, along with white flies and spider mites :(. The brugs out in the garden seem fine so I guess mother nature takes care of those.

lol o.k. back to the drawing board!. :)

Lets see if mexifelio thinks it is the same one.

Gotta go , I will have to check back tommorow

The last two images appear to be nymphs of planthoppers (Hemiptera/Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoridae or Flatidae) - see http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/shrubs/citrus_flatid03.htm for a flatid nymph

fleurone,
They don't appear to have the same scales down the back and white fluff coming out of the end. The wings are very light, almost translucent. I will try to take a clearer picture tomorrow when the sun is back out.

Here is another Picture.

Lacebug poop. The discoloration of the leaves in your photos is also typical of lacebugs. They inject an enzyme into the leaf and suck out the sap, including the cholorophyll. That accounts for the discoloration. I believe that suunto has made the correct ID....

The photo really is too fuzzy to make an accurate ID if the insect itself. But you have described one of the identifiable aspects (little black things on the undersides of the leaves), and the photo shows the other - the discolored areas on the leaf.

The curious thing is that lacebugs don't ordinarily sit on the top of a leaf, but underneath.

Is this what you are seeing? http://bugguide.net/node/view/84636

This message was edited Jun 14, 2008 10:40 PM

Thank you suunto that is it. Interesting link as I do have grapefruit trees so wonder if I somehow carried it in with me .

Looks like ceejaytown found yours as well mexifelio :)

Here is what whiteflies look like .. these particular ones are banded wing whiteflies. If you look closely you can see some aphids on there too.

X

And these are aphids.

ceejaytown, that looks to be pretty darn close, thank you!