What's eating my marble earth star?

Marble Earth Star is a low-growing houseplant bromeliad particularly prone to spider mites in dry air — the flat rosette gives mites plenty of leaf surface to colonise. Mealybugs hide between the tightly overlapping leaves. Scale is less common but possible. Humidity and regular inspection are the best defences.

Fine pale stippling across the decorative marbled leaf surface; webbing in severe infestations Increase humidity around the plant, rinse leaves with lukewarm water, and apply insecticidal soap weekly

Powdery white residue tucked between the overlapping low-growing leaves; reduced vigour Carefully dab each colony with a 70% isopropyl alcohol swab; repeat every 5 days until gone

Small, fixed brown bumps on leaf surfaces; honeydew residue may cause sooty mould Remove manually with a toothbrush, treat with alcohol, and apply horticultural oil for persistent cases