What's eating my apricot bouquet gloxinia?

Apricot Bouquet gloxinia is a Sinningia hybrid houseplant with soft, velvety leaves and pastel flowers. Mealybugs hide in leaf axils and behind the velvety leaf hairs. Thrips scar the delicate petals. Fungus gnats breed in damp compost. The soft foliage is also vulnerable to cyclamen mites distorting new growth.

Cottony white clusters tucked into leaf axils and the crown; honeydew; leaves yellow and growth slows Dab with an alcohol swab; spray thoroughly with insecticidal soap or neem oil; repeat every 7–10 days

Silver or bronze streaking and petal scarring on the apricot flowers; tiny dark frass dots on petals Remove damaged flowers promptly; apply spinosad or insecticidal soap; use blue sticky traps near the plant

Growing tip and new leaves appear stunted, thickened, or cupped; flowers may be streaked or deformed Isolate immediately; treat with neem oil weekly for 3–4 weeks; discard severely affected plants

Larvae feed on roots in wet potting mix; adults are a nuisance; seedlings or small plants may collapse Allow the top layer of compost to dry; use Bti drench; place sticky yellow cards to trap adults