What's eating my dinter's eye plant?

Dinter's Eye Plant (Ophthalmophyllum dinteri) is a tiny, highly specialist lithops-like mesemb grown indoors. Mealybugs are its worst pest, concealing themselves in the central fissure. Root mealybugs can be fatal to such a small plant. Spider mites occasionally attack in heated dry rooms. Excellent drainage and very sparing water are critical defences.

White cottony deposit in the central leaf cleft; body softens and discolours if left untreated Very carefully apply alcohol with a fine-tipped cotton swab in the cleft; retreat weekly

Whole plant shrivels despite correct watering; white wax visible on the few fine roots Unpot immediately, treat roots with insecticidal soap solution, repot in bone-dry gritty mix

Faint pale flecking on the leaf surface windows; webbing visible under magnification Improve ventilation, wipe surface carefully with a barely damp cloth, apply dilute neem oil