What's eating my heliamphora ionasi?

Heliamphora ionasi is one of the largest sun pitchers, requiring cool, humid, brightly lit indoor conditions. Its towering pitchers trap insects but the plant's wet sphagnum medium invites fungus gnats. Being among the most sensitive Heliamphora to root disturbance, any fungus gnat larval damage is especially serious and recovery is very slow.

Root and rhizome damage from larvae in wet sphagnum; dramatic wilting; pitchers collapse despite adequate watering Bti drench applied regularly; cool growing conditions slow the pest lifecycle; avoid organic additives in the substrate; yellow sticky traps

Cottony white colonies between pitcher bases and at the rhizome; insidious slow decline Treat with isopropyl alcohol on a fine brush; repot carefully into fresh, sterile live sphagnum

Flat brownish bumps on pitcher walls or stems; yellowing and arrested growth Scrape off manually; apply dilute neem oil or isopropyl alcohol; monitor for reinfestation over several weeks