Abstract Studies on success or failures of biological invasions by different insect biotypes are scarce and could provide interesting insights into the traits that determine greater or lower ability to invade. Life history traits of invasive whiteflies Bemisia tabaci of the B biotype (known as a worldwide invasive biotype) and of the indigenous biotype Ms (not known as an invader anywhere in the world), both from the island of La Réunion (Indian Ocean), were compared for this purpose. In our study we demonstrated that within a cultivated host plant (tomato), the B biotype differs from the Ms by a combination of several life-history traits. This combination gives the invasive biotype an advantage over the resident both in terms of rapid demographic growth (increased intrinsic rate of increase and associated traits such as short developmental times and high fecundity) and in terms of competition (large adult and offspring sizes), without any recorded trade off. However, in the field the resident biotype remains dominant on non-cultivated hosts (weeds) and in a particular climate (high humidity). This suggests that invasive biotypes are characterized by physiological, morphological and biological adaptations to a disturbed environment created by anthropic activities at different places in the world, while resident biotypes may persist in less altered habitats.