Pest identification
What's eating my red frangipani?
Frangipani caterpillar (Pseudosphinx tetrio)
Signs: Entire leaves stripped from branches within days; large yellow-and-black banded larvae visible on stems.
Control: Hand-pick larvae and egg masses daily; apply Bt spray; for large infestations use a registered caterpillar insecticide.
Mealybugs
Signs: White waxy masses in leaf joints and stem tips; honeydew and sooty mold; stunted shoots.
Control: Remove manually with isopropyl alcohol swabs; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray; repeat weekly.
Whitefly
Signs: Yellowing, dropping leaves; clouds of small white insects disturbed from the underside of leaves.
Control: Use yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin early morning; introduce Encarsia wasps.
Spider mites
Signs: Pale stippling and bronzing on leaf surfaces; fine webbing on undersides in hot, dry spells.
Control: Mist regularly; use neem oil spray or predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) for heavier infestations.
Keep red frangipani pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Red Frangipani pests — FAQ
What is eating my red frangipani?
Red Frangipani (Plumeria rubra) is most seriously threatened by frangipani rust (Coleosporium plumeriae), a fungal disease that looks pest-like, and by the frangipani caterpillar (Pseudosphinx tetrio), which can strip a tree bare overnight. Mealybugs and whitefly also colonize soft new growth, especially on plants kept indoors or in sheltered spots.
How do I get rid of frangipani caterpillar (pseudosphinx tetrio) on red frangipani?
Entire leaves stripped from branches within days; large yellow-and-black banded larvae visible on stems. Hand-pick larvae and egg masses daily; apply Bt spray; for large infestations use a registered caterpillar insecticide.
How do I get rid of mealybugs on red frangipani?
White waxy masses in leaf joints and stem tips; honeydew and sooty mold; stunted shoots. Remove manually with isopropyl alcohol swabs; apply neem oil or insecticidal soap spray; repeat weekly.
How do I get rid of whitefly on red frangipani?
Yellowing, dropping leaves; clouds of small white insects disturbed from the underside of leaves. Use yellow sticky traps; spray with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin early morning; introduce Encarsia wasps.
How do I get rid of spider mites on red frangipani?
Pale stippling and bronzing on leaf surfaces; fine webbing on undersides in hot, dry spells. Mist regularly; use neem oil spray or predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) for heavier infestations.