What's eating my calceolaria herbeohybrida?

Calceolaria × herbeohybrida (Slipper Flower) is a cool-season pot annual most severely damaged by aphids, which pack flower buds and soft stems. Whitefly is a very common secondary problem under glass. Vine weevil grubs can destroy the root system. Red spider mite appears if plants are kept too warm and dry.

Dense colonies on flower stems and inside the pouch-like blooms; leaves curl, growth slows, and sticky honeydew covers surfaces. Spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrum, focusing on stems and bud clusters; for severe infestations in greenhouses, use Aphidius parasitic wasp sachets.

Clouds of tiny white flies rise when plants are disturbed; leaf undersides coated with pale scales and nymphs; honeydew and sooty mold follow. Hang yellow sticky traps in greenhouse; spray undersides of leaves with insecticidal soap or use Encarsia formosa parasitic wasp for biological control.

Grubs eat roots and crown tissue; plant wilts suddenly and at root inspection C-shaped white larvae are found in the compost. Apply pathogenic nematode drench (Steinernema kraussei) to pots in spring or autumn; inspect roots when repotting; avoid overwatering which aids adult egg-laying.

Leaves develop pale, stippled mottling; the cool-season nature of the plant means this pest mainly strikes if temperatures rise too high indoors. Keep plants cool and moist; increase humidity; apply insecticidal soap or introduce Phytoseiulus persimilis predatory mites as biological control.