What's eating my anthurium?

Anthurium's thick, tropical leaves attract spider mites, thrips, and mealybugs in indoor conditions. Thrips cause characteristic silver-bronze streaking on the spadix and leaves. The high humidity anthuriums need can also draw fungus gnats. Mealybugs hiding in spathe folds are easy to miss on inspection.

Silver or bronze streaks and stippling on leaves and spathe; dark frass dots; spathe edges may brown prematurely Isolate immediately; remove heavily infested flowers; spray with insecticidal soap or spinosad; introduce predatory mites (Amblyseius cucumeris); repeat every 5–7 days

Fine yellow stippling on leaf surfaces; fine webbing at petiole bases; leaves dull and eventually bronze Raise humidity; mist leaves with water regularly; treat with neem oil or insecticidal soap; use Phytoseiulus persimilis for biological control

White fluff in spathe folds, leaf axils, and root zone; plants weaken; honeydew and sooty mould develop Dab with isopropyl alcohol; spray neem oil; check roots when repotting and rinse if root mealybugs present