What's eating my bearded huernia?

Bearded Huernia is a small clustering stapeliad succulent indoors, most often damaged by mealybugs concealed between its angled stems and by root mealybugs in the soil. Spider mites can occur in hot dry air. Flies visiting the hairy, carrion-scented flowers are pollinators, not pests — no control needed.

Cottony white deposits between stems and at the growing tips; affected stems shrivel and take on a yellow tinge Dab colonies with alcohol-soaked cotton swab; apply diluted neem oil to the whole plant; isolate and repeat weekly

Plant stops clustering and individual stems collapse; white waxy material found coating roots at repotting Unpot, remove all old compost, treat roots with neem drench or imidacloprid solution, repot in sterile mineral mix

Fine pale stippling on stem surfaces; barely visible webbing in hot dry indoor conditions Wipe stems with damp cloth, spray neem oil or insecticidal soap, improve air circulation around the plant