What's eating my dryas primulina?

Primulina dryas (dryas primulina) is a gesneriad houseplant vulnerable to the same soft-bodied indoor pests as African violets — chiefly cyclamen mites and mealybugs. Fungus gnats attack the peat-rich, moisture-retaining compost it prefers. Inspect the crown and leaf undersides regularly.

Leaves pucker, curl inward, and look stunted; new growth is twisted or distorted; mites are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye Isolate immediately; remove heavily affected leaves; apply miticide (e.g., abamectin) or rinse with lukewarm water repeatedly; discard severely infested plants

White waxy fluff in leaf axils and along midribs; honeydew causes sticky leaves and sooty mold Remove with alcohol-dipped swabs; treat with diluted neem oil or insecticidal soap, avoiding wetting hairy leaf surfaces directly

Larvae tunnel through roots and compost, stunting growth; adults are a nuisance but do little direct harm Let the top layer of compost dry between waterings; use yellow sticky traps for adults; apply Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) to the soil