What's eating my easter lily cactus?

Easter Lily Cactus (Echinopsis eyriesii) is an indoor/greenhouse cactus most commonly troubled by mealybugs and scale. Spider mites emerge in dry overheated rooms. Fungus gnats can damage roots if watering is excessive. Check the ribbed stem and areoles closely — pests often hide in recessed grooves between ribs.

Fluffy white wax deposits in the areoles and rib grooves; plant looks dull and growth stalls. Remove with alcohol-dipped cotton swabs; follow with weekly neem oil or insecticidal soap applications.

Hard tan or brown raised bumps on the stem; sticky surface from honeydew, sometimes with sooty mold. Physically remove with a soft brush and rubbing alcohol; treat remaining pests with insecticidal soap.

Fine webbing and dusty stippling on the stem surface in hot, dry conditions. Increase air circulation, mist lightly to raise humidity, and treat with diluted neem oil spray repeated every 7 days.

Root damage by larvae in waterlogged compost; adult gnats visible hovering around the soil surface. Allow soil to dry fully between waterings and apply Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) drench to kill larvae.