What's eating my gibbaeum heathii?

Gibbaeum heathii is a compact, fleshy South African mesemb kept indoors. Mealybugs rank as the primary pest, lodging in the tight crevice between its paired lobes. Root mealybugs silently destroy roots during summer dormancy. Spider mites are a secondary risk in hot indoor conditions. Withhold water in summer to limit pest pressure.

Cottony white fluff in the fissure between plant lobes and at the soil line; bodies may wilt or distort Target colonies precisely with an alcohol swab; treat the whole plant with neem oil spray; repeat weekly

Plant fails to respond to autumn watering resumption; white powdery wax found on roots when unpotted Bare-root, discard old mix, drench roots in systemic insecticide or neem solution, repot clean and dry

Fine pale speckling across the smooth plant body; faint webbing at the base in dry conditions Wipe with a barely damp cloth; apply dilute insecticidal soap; ensure good air movement around the plant