What's eating my disk staghorn fern?

Disk Staghorn Fern (Platycerium veitchii) is a silvery-white species from arid Australia and is somewhat more drought-tolerant than others, but scale insects remain a real threat. Mealybugs hide in the deeply lobed fertile fronds. The dense silver trichomes that give this fern its colour are easily damaged by oil-based sprays — treat gently.

Hard brown bumps on the upright fertile fronds and shield frond edges; overall yellowing and slowed growth Remove manually with a fine soft brush; apply insecticidal soap carefully to avoid disrupting the dense trichomes; repeat every 7–10 days

Cottony white clusters in the lobes of fertile fronds and at the base of the shield frond; sap feeding weakens growth Spot-treat with an alcohol swab in accessible areas; use dilute insecticidal soap; avoid neem oil on the silver trichome surfaces

Pale stippling and dulling of the silver fertile fronds; fine webbing at frond bases in dry air Lightly mist the area around the plant (not the fronds directly); move away from dry heat sources; apply insecticidal soap spray with care