What's eating my carnation of india?

Carnation of India / Crepe Jasmine (Ervatamia coronaria) is a robust tropical shrub but scale insects and mealybugs are its most consistent pests, with sooty mold often appearing as a secondary sign. Whiteflies and caterpillars can also occur. University of Florida notes that insect damage is usually cosmetic only; horticultural oil resolves most scale and mealybug problems.

Small brown or gray bumps on stems and branches; yellowing foliage; sooty mold on honeydew below them. Apply horticultural oil spray at crawler stage; scrape off established scales by hand; prune heavily infested stems.

White waxy tufts at leaf axils and stem nodes; honeydew leads to black sooty mold and slowed growth. Dab colonies with rubbing alcohol; spray thoroughly with insecticidal soap or neem oil; repeat every 7–10 days.

Adults fly up when foliage is disturbed; yellowing leaves with sooty mold on honeydew deposits below. Use yellow sticky traps; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil targeting leaf undersides; remove heavily affected shoots.

Ragged holes chewed in leaves; young shoots may be stripped; caterpillars may shelter in folded leaves. Hand-pick visible caterpillars; spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for persistent infestations.