What's eating my paphiopedilum malipoense?

Paphiopedilum malipoense is a cool-growing slipper orchid cultivated indoors where spider mites and mealybugs are the principal pests. Its soft, mottled strap leaves and lack of water-storing pseudobulbs make it sensitive to both pest damage and the chemical concentrations used to treat them — always use diluted solutions.

Pale stippling or silvery bronzing across leaf surfaces; fine webbing visible in severe cases. Wipe both sides of leaves with a soft damp cloth; apply half-strength insecticidal soap or neem oil, repeating every 5–7 days for three cycles.

White cottony deposits in the junction of leaves and at the base of the plant; sticky residue. Spot-treat with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton bud; follow with a diluted neem oil spray if infestation spreads.

Adult gnats are a nuisance; larvae in the potting medium (bark mix) chew fine roots, causing wilting. Allow medium to dry slightly between waterings; use yellow sticky traps for adults; drench with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) to kill larvae.