What's eating my hoya pubicalyx 'black dragon'?

Hoya pubicalyx 'Black Dragon' is a deep-leaved vining houseplant that shares the pest profile of other Hoya pubicalyx cultivars. Mealybugs are the primary threat, concealed in nodes along the vine. Spider mites attack in warm, dry air. Scale insects on stems and aphids near flower buds are less common but occur.

White cottony residue at nodes and leaf axils; honeydew and sooty mold on lower foliage and surface below the pot Dab with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab; spray with neem oil solution; repeat every 5–7 days and inspect all nodes

Tiny yellow or bronze speckles on the dark leaves; fine webbing on leaf undersides in low-humidity indoor air Raise humidity; shower the plant to dislodge mites; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil spray weekly for 3 weeks

Hard or waxy brown bumps adhering to stems and leaf midribs; reduced plant vigor and sticky deposits Scrape off manually; wipe stems and leaves with 70% alcohol; apply horticultural oil every 2 weeks until clear

Soft insects on new growth tips and near developing flower buds; sticky honeydew and distorted new shoots Rinse off with lukewarm water; apply insecticidal soap; monitor new growth and flower buds through the growing season