What's eating my philodendron pastazanum?

Philodendron pastazanum is a ground-creeping tropical aroid whose large, heart-shaped leaves are targeted by the same indoor pests as other philodendrons. Spider mites and thrips are the most damaging. Mealybugs settle along the thick rhizome and petiole bases. Scale insects can appear on the stout creeping stem of older plants.

Pale stippling across the large leaf surfaces, fine webbing along midribs and petioles; heavily infested leaves yellow and dry at the edges Maintain humidity above 60%; wipe both sides of every large leaf with a damp cloth; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray weekly; keep the plant away from dry heat sources

Silver-bronze streaks and scarring on the large leaf blades; distorted or stunted new growth unfurling from the cataphyll; dark frass visible on undersides Remove damaged leaves; treat with spinosad or insecticidal soap spray every 5–7 days; use blue sticky traps to monitor; quarantine new philodendrons before adding them to your collection

White cottony deposits at petiole bases, along the creeping rhizome, and in cataphylls; honeydew and sooty mould on leaf surfaces Inspect the rhizome at every watering; dab each colony with isopropyl alcohol; spray the whole plant with insecticidal soap; check for root mealybugs if growth is poor despite clean foliage

Brown or tan oval bumps on the creeping stem and petioles; can be mistaken for natural stem markings; leaves yellow as the plant weakens Scrub off scale with a soft brush dipped in isopropyl alcohol or horticultural oil; apply neem oil spray; repeat monthly; scale is slow-moving but persistent