What's eating my fairy fan-flower?

Scaevola aemula, an Australian native, is generally pest-resistant but attracts aphids on soft new growth, whitefly on container plants, and spider mites in hot dry conditions. Slugs and snails target young transplants. Fungus gnats can affect pot-grown specimens with overly wet media. Aphids are the most commonly reported problem.

Dense colonies on soft shoot tips; curled leaves; sticky honeydew with sooty mould; reduced flower production Water blast or insecticidal soap spray; remove infested tips; introduce or attract aphid predators; avoid excess nitrogen

White insect masses on leaf undersides; honeydew; yellowing; sooty mould; most common on hanging basket plants Yellow sticky traps; insecticidal soap or pyrethrin spray; Encarsia formosa biological control in greenhouses or conservatories

Pale speckling and bronze discoloration on leaves; fine webbing; most severe in hot dry spells Mist plants regularly; apply neem oil or miticide to leaf undersides; avoid drought stress

Irregular holes in young leaves and stems of transplants; silvery slime trails nearby Iron phosphate pellets; sharp grit around crowns; hand-pick at night; copper tape on containers