What's eating my cryptanthus 'ruby'?

Cryptanthus 'Ruby' is prized for its vivid pink and red foliage, but that dense, low rosette is exactly where mealybugs like to hide. Scale insects and spider mites are secondary threats, especially in winter when heating dries the air. Frequent inspection and immediate treatment protect the decorative color.

White fluffy deposits at the centre and in leaf crevices; leaves pale or yellow where feeding is heaviest. Use a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol to reach into the rosette; spray with dilute neem oil weekly.

Small tan or brown bumps on the colourful leaf faces and undersides; sticky, dull leaf surfaces. Remove with an alcohol-moistened swab or soft toothbrush; repeat inspection after 10 days.

Pale stippling diminishes the ruby coloration; fine webbing across leaf tips in dry, warm rooms. Raise humidity by grouping plants or using a pebble tray; treat with insecticidal soap spray every 5 days.