What's eating my monstera aurea?

Monstera deliciosa 'Aurea', with its golden variegation, is prized but pest-prone — variegated tissue is often weaker and more attractive to sap-feeders. Spider mites and mealybugs are the top threats. Scale insects and thrips occasionally attack. The golden sectors show stippling and scarring more readily, making early detection easier on this cultivar.

Pale speckling concentrated on the yellow and green sectors; webbing on undersides; leaves lose sheen Rinse leaves, boost humidity above 55%, and apply insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil every 7 days

White fluffy deposits at petiole joints, stem nodes and along the midrib; sticky residue below Remove with alcohol swabs; treat whole plant with neem oil spray on a weekly schedule for 3–4 weeks

Small raised brown discs on stems and veins; weakened new growth and yellowing older leaves Physically remove scales, then apply horticultural oil every 10 days for 6 weeks

Silver or bronze streaks on leaf surfaces especially in the pale variegated areas; distorted new leaves Apply spinosad or neem oil spray, remove damaged leaves, and monitor with blue sticky traps