What's eating my hoya lauterbachii?

Hoya lauterbachii is a large-leafed climbing hoya from Papua New Guinea, grown indoors as a collector's plant. Its thick succulent-textured leaves are relatively pest-resistant but not immune. Mealybugs target stem nodes and root zones; spider mites can appear in dry conditions. Isolate and inspect new specimens before adding to a collection.

White cottony clusters at stem nodes, leaf axils, and along the main vine; weakened or stunted new growth Dab colonies with isopropyl alcohol on a swab; spray the whole plant with neem oil solution weekly for 3–4 weeks

Pale dusty speckling on the large leaf surfaces; fine webbing on undersides if conditions are very dry Wipe leaves with a damp cloth, increase humidity, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil spray weekly

White waxy residue around roots visible at repotting; wilting despite adequate watering Bare-root the plant, remove all root mealybug colonies, and soak roots in insecticidal soap or imidacloprid solution before repotting in fresh mix