Is something nibbling on my phals?

[Reneelb]

Hi,

Ive noticed some 'nibble' marks on two of my phals.

At least I am hoping they are nibble marks!

They are almost like hollow bubbles within the leaves, but they are dry and appear on either one side or the other of the leaf as white.

They seem to be more prevalent on the underside of the leaves. Some appear in lines...

So I have sprayed with eco oil and neem oil, but I think they may be more 'chew marks' than before.

Ive tried wiping them off with rubbing alcohol but they do not seem to shift.

there are also a pair of raised black dots on the leaf of the big phal which seem to be making a bit of a dent?

Every time I try to figure out what this could be I end up looking at really crazy looking problems and freak out a bit.

[orchidsarefun]

another possibility is sun damage. I have experienced something similar - until I figured out it was sun damage and started using shade cloth.

[Reneelb]

Then at least I would know my dens were getting enough light!

It is winter here in Melbourne, and the sun is not peeking through the rain as much as I would like. These ones live next to the brightest window in the house, but I don't think it is adequate.

The marks are mainly on the underside of the leaves and on only 2 out of 4 phals.

I have had the plants for maybe 6 weeks, and some of the damage may have been there when I first got them, but I have noticed further damage to the smaller one recently.

[silken]

I can't really tell from your photos but I would check for scale. They look like small round bumps and can often be found on undersides although on top too and in crevices. You might want to isolate these plants till you figure it out. If it's scale, it needs to be dealt with soon before they reporoduce.

[Cym Ladye]

In photos 5 and 6, the white indentations appear to be critter bites which have sealed over. I suspect sow bug, snail or earwig damage. These may well be living in the potting mix. I would use a small amount of bait "suitable to their tastes" on the top of the mix to stop these.

The other photos are too small to determine the other problems but I think you have several different things going on here. I definitely agree with isolating these plants until you find the cause.

CL