What's eating my barter's cycad?

Barter's Cycad (Encephalartos barteri) from West Africa is most threatened in cultivation by armored scale insects, which encrust the fronds and weaken the plant through persistent sap feeding. Mealybugs are a common secondary pest. The seed weevil Antliarhinus zamiae can devastate seed production. Regular monitoring and horticultural oil sprays are the core protection strategy.

Brown circular or white waxy shields on leaflets and stems; chlorotic spotting leading to yellowing and frond dieback Prune badly infested fronds; spray horticultural oil weekly for 4 weeks; apply imidacloprid systemic drench for persistent infestations on large specimens

Cottony white masses in leaf axils and the apical crown; honeydew and sooty mold deposits; reduced vigour and distorted new growth Spot-treat with isopropyl alcohol swabs; spray neem oil or insecticidal soap on a 7–10 day cycle

Female weevils oviposit into developing seeds; larvae hollow out seeds inside the cone; seeds are externally intact but nonviable Inspect cones regularly; remove and destroy affected material; use preventive systemic insecticide when cones are forming