What's eating my philodendron brandtianum (silver leaf)?

Philodendron brandtianum (Silver Leaf) is grown indoors and is most troubled by spider mites and mealybugs, which thrive in warm, dry indoor air. The silvery leaf patterning can make early mite stippling hard to spot — check undersides routinely. Fungus gnats may colonise overly wet soil.

Tiny yellow or bronze spots across leaf surface; fine webbing on undersides; leaves lose silvery sheen Increase humidity; spray undersides with water or insecticidal soap; apply neem oil weekly for 3–4 weeks

White waxy fluff at petioles and stem joints; honeydew causes leaves to feel sticky Remove with alcohol-soaked cotton swab; follow up with neem oil spray; repeat every 10 days

Adult gnats fly around soil; larvae chew fine roots, causing wilting and slow growth Allow soil surface to dry between waterings; drench with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti); use yellow sticky traps