Is this a bug or something else?

[Shiffdaddy]

I check my plants meticulously and this just popped up on my Bletilla's. They are planted in the ground and have been there for almost a year now. This is the first time that this kind of marking has appeared on them before and it must have happened recently. I think it is either too much heat since the days have been quite hot or its some sort of insect that is sucking/eating the leaf. Take a look and tell me what you think.

I am wayyyy against using pesticides/insecticides but i think i may just have to use it if these are pests because i dont wanna lose these ones haha!

Also when i got on my hands and knees to get a closer look there were tiny little insects crawling on the soil. Like smaller than an ant small. Fungus gnats or nematodes or something? I've never seen a nematode so idk if thats what it is but ya never know..

Ben

[NYCorchidman]

It looks to me that it's either insect (maybe beetles?)damage or snails of some sort. It's not disease.
Neither fungus gnats nor nematodes leaves damages that look like this.
Fungus gnats damage is at most some minor ones at root level by the larvae. usually none.
Nematodes look like super small version of earth worms. Some can be seen and some are microscopic. They normally live inside plant tissue and eat without leaving holes.

Check for snails at dusk or night time. or try placing a small piece of fruit or veggie on the potting mix in the evening. Check back an hour or so later. If it was snails, they will be there. just pick up and toss out. I normally crush them. or give it to fish.

[Shiffdaddy]

It's not snails or slugs, I put out sluggo and haven't seen one of those b stards in a while now! Haha.

My IPM teacher says that it is possible that it's thrips. Because of the eating pattern and since they aren't chewing through te leaves.. She said I would need to being i'n the leaf for her to be sure. Has anyone ever dealt with thrips? What should I do?

I do see little bugs crawling around on the soil but I haven't seen them on the top or underside of any leaves. They are maybe a 3rd the size of the small black ants, are kinda long and skinny (like thrips), but I cannot tell if they have wings. There are multiple instars though. I see small and large versions of the insect. And on the bottom of the leaves a saw what could have been small gray eggs, 2 of them. But they could have just been dirt or something..

Hopefully this gives enough info to ID

[Shiffdaddy]

OMG! I just went out to compare yesterdays damage with today's and I noticed one spot forming on the top so I looked under to see if there was anything and I didn't see anything so I kinda rubbed my finger over the leaf and one of those green inch worms appeared out of nowhere! I checked all the leaves on all the other plants and he was the only one! That must have been what it was! Lol

Does this make sense to anybody?

[AnonYMouse]

I personally don't have experience but my mother and my sister have grown bletilla striata. Neither are/were very dedicated gardeners and certainly NOT picking and IDing bugs.

Being a wide ranging terrestrial, I believe bletillas have to be tolerant to pests and conditions. Don't worry too much. As long as the pbulb/corm/rhizome survives, you should have flowers next spring. They are pretty hardy.

[Shiffdaddy]

Ok, thanks for the response. Ya the bulbs and everything look really good still. It's just the leaves that are getting eaten. I hope ridding it of the caterpillar will do the trick. I'm crossing my fingers.

Ben

[NYCorchidman]

caterpillar makes perfect sense for the damage pattern. and you found it right on the spot.

Thrips are very small and do not ever leave big holes like that. They leave tiny white spots where they chew and scar the plant tissues.

Well, I'm glad you got the trouble maker.