What's eating my dwarf sugar palm?

Dwarf Sugar Palm (Arenga engleri) in tropical and warm-temperate gardens is most vulnerable to palm leaf skeletonizer, spider mites in dry spells, and scale insects. The arching, pinnate fronds provide large surface area for pest colonization. Maintain irrigation to limit spider mite surges in drought conditions.

Leaflets skeletonized from the underside, leaving papery brown tissue; larval silk webbing visible along the frond undersides. Spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or spinosad at first sign of larval feeding. Remove and dispose of the most damaged fronds. Repeat applications every 7–10 days while larvae are active.

Fine bronze stippling across leaflets; webbing in frond joints during hot, dry weather. Increase watering frequency and mist fronds. Apply neem oil or abamectin-based miticide to all frond surfaces in the early morning; repeat weekly for three rounds.

Flat armored scales on frond midribs and petioles; yellowing of affected fronds and reduced vigor. Apply horticultural oil spray at crawler emergence; repeat in 10–14 days. Prune out heavily encrusted fronds. Avoid water stress, which encourages scale outbreaks.