Tampere Natural History Museum expert identifies tiny whiteflies swarming pelargoniums in Tyrvää

Photos from Tyrvää show tiny white insects swarming pelargoniums and houseplants; a reader sent the pictures to Aamulehti and Tomi Kumpulainen of the Tampere Natural History Museum identified them as whiteflies.

About 13 whitefly species are known in Finland, though a photo alone often cannot pinpoint which one, Kumpulainen said.

The insects are only about 1 to 2 millimetres long. Relatives of aphids, they feed from the undersides of leaves. Their sap-sucking causes mottling and translucency and can leave foliage more vulnerable to powdery mildew.

Gardeners can treat infestations by applying products to the leaf undersides or by ordering biological controls such as predatory mites from garden suppliers.

Anyone seeking an identification can send a photo, location, date and size estimate to [email protected]. Kumpulainen usually handles observations from Pirkanmaa but responds to others when possible.

The report follows earlier reader-ID pieces, including an earwig identification in Orivesi earwig identification in Orivesi and a note about white thread-like mold on a mushroom at Tohloppijärvi mold on a mushroom at Tohloppijärvi.