What's eating my gloxinia perennis?

Gloxinia perennis is a rhizomatous tropical gesneriad grown indoors for its tubular lavender-blue flowers. Mealybugs are the most common threat at leaf bases and the crown. Cyclamen mites and thrips damage the soft flowers and foliage. Fungus gnats thrive in the moist conditions this plant prefers, so root health monitoring is important.

White cottony clusters at leaf petioles, stem base, and around the rhizome crown; slowed growth and leaf drop. Apply isopropyl alcohol to colonies with a cotton swab; follow with neem oil spray weekly; check the rhizome base carefully.

Center leaves become hard, distorted, and curl under; flower buds abort or produce deformed blooms. Isolate plant immediately; apply a houseplant miticide or insecticidal soap; discard plant if the crown is heavily infested.

Silvery streaking and petal scarring on the tubular flowers; fine black frass dots on leaves. Remove and discard affected flowers; spray spinosad or insecticidal soap; blue sticky traps help monitor infestation levels.

Larvae in consistently moist mix damage feeder roots and the rhizome surface, causing unexplained wilting. Allow the top inch of soil to dry; apply Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis drench; use yellow sticky traps for adults.