What's eating my achimenes erecta?

Achimenes erecta is a species Achimenes with upright stems and vivid scarlet tubular flowers. Aphids are attracted to its tender growing tips and buds. Spider mites are a serious threat in dry indoor conditions. Being a soft-stemmed seasonal plant, it is more susceptible to aphid damage at shoot emergence in spring than at any other time.

Dense colonies on new shoot tips and flower buds; distorted, curled young leaves; sticky honeydew and possible sooty mould on stems and leaves below. Wash off with water or remove manually. Spray with insecticidal soap on a 5–7 day cycle. Inspect again each spring when new shoots emerge from dormant rhizomes.

Stippled, pale leaves losing their green colour; webbing in leaf axils and at shoot tips; warm, dry rooms cause rapid population increases. Raise humidity and keep away from heat sources. Spray insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil to all leaf surfaces weekly. Remove badly infested stems and dispose of them safely.

Small flies hovering around the compost; root-grazing larvae cause wilting in young plants; damp, peat-heavy mixes during dormancy are particularly inviting. Let the topsoil dry between waterings. Drench with a Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) solution to kill larvae. Use yellow sticky traps to catch and monitor adult flies.