Question
QUESTION: I have a Pinguicula moctezumae plant that seems to be dying on me. originally there were two plants, one died over Christmas break and the other is currently dying. I recently had an aphid assault on my sundews and butterworts, however the attacks on the sundews were the worst and I lost a cape sundew during that. The aphid also don't seem to go away even though I've sprayed with pyrithren and submerged the sundews in water to drown the aphids. The only other factor I can think of is that the plant shares a pot with a ping laueana and moranensis which have gone into dormancy. I have been watering the pot significantly less since the others are going dormant, so I don't know if this is a a problem for my moctezumae. Do moctezumae even go into a dry season dormancy like other Mexican pings?

ANSWER: This species is very prone to aphids, so its growth could be adversely affected if the infestation is severe enough.  Pyrethrin works on aphids, but it's considered a topical application.  The compound needs to be applied to the aphids themselves and you'll need to repeat the application every 7-10 days until you're confident the aphids are eradicated.  Typically, a single application of a systemic insecticide will do the job. Keep in mind, however, that aphids are usually an ongoing issue.  You shouldn't expect them to be gone with a single treatment.  You simply need to treat them as you see them.

There may be other factors that affect the growth of your plant, but without knowing your lighting, watering schedule and such, I can't offer any specific changes to your care.  It is possible that the plant is going dormant, and it prefers very dry soil when dormant.  Lack of sufficient nutrients might also be a factor, but this is generally the wrong time of the year to fertilize butterworts.  

For more information on using insecticides, watch our video podcast on the subject.
http://youtu.be/lbRCdJ8ZNF0

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My plant is in a south facing window so I don't believe sunlight is the issue, nutrition may be a problem since there are very few bugs around in the winter. How do I tell if the plant is going dormant versus signs of ill health? My plant is experiencing leaf withering even at the growing point unlike my other butterworts, which only the older carnivorous leaves have withered and noncarnivourous leaves are replacing them. Also in relation to aphid treatment, when is the best time to catch the little monsters when they're out and about instead of hiding?

Answer
When this species goes dormant, it will have much shorter leaves.  If you don't see shorter leaves near the base of the plant, then your plant may be ill.  In this case, it would be helpful if you uploaded a clear photo of your plant because I'm not sure if the withering is normal leaf die off or from a subsoil pest.

You should always spray if you suspect aphids, whether you see them or not.  You'll have better chance of eradicating them when you see them, but they could also hide under the leaves, so you'll need to spray all parts of the plant.  If you use a systemic insecticide, it won't matter if you see the bugs or not. Systemics are absorbed by the plant and delivers the poison to the insect when they feed on the plant.