Pest identification
What's eating my hope's cycad?
Cycad aulacaspis scale (Aulacaspis yasumatsui)
Signs: White armored scale masses on fronds and the massive trunk; frond bleaching and decline
Control: Horticultural oil spray applied thoroughly including trunk crevices; repeat monthly; systemic drench for severe cases
Cycad blue butterfly caterpillars
Signs: New crozier fronds chewed to stubs; sets back growth for one to two years on slow specimens
Control: Bt spray targeting new flush growth; monitor in spring–summer when adults are most active
Mealybugs
Signs: Cottony colonies in crown and petiole bases; stunting and sooty mold on large specimens
Control: Neem oil or insecticidal soap spray; systemic imidacloprid drench for large, established plants
Keep hope's cycad pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Hope's Cycad pests — FAQ
What is eating my hope's cycad?
Hope's Cycad (Lepidozamia hopei), the world's tallest cycad, is targeted by cycad scale insects and cycad blue butterfly caterpillars in Australian gardens. Mealybugs attack container specimens. In Far North Queensland its native range, cassowaries eat the red seeds but do not damage the plant — they are seed dispersers, not pests.
How do I get rid of cycad aulacaspis scale (aulacaspis yasumatsui) on hope's cycad?
White armored scale masses on fronds and the massive trunk; frond bleaching and decline Horticultural oil spray applied thoroughly including trunk crevices; repeat monthly; systemic drench for severe cases
How do I get rid of cycad blue butterfly caterpillars on hope's cycad?
New crozier fronds chewed to stubs; sets back growth for one to two years on slow specimens Bt spray targeting new flush growth; monitor in spring–summer when adults are most active
How do I get rid of mealybugs on hope's cycad?
Cottony colonies in crown and petiole bases; stunting and sooty mold on large specimens Neem oil or insecticidal soap spray; systemic imidacloprid drench for large, established plants