Guar. aurantiaca deformed spike

[Mshab]

My Guar. currently has two spikes forming. One is normal, the other looks deformed and is producing an exudate. I've looked for pests and saw none. I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol a couple of weeks ago and it returned. The growth these flowers are coming from appears healthy, although the previous growth was stunted and deformed and didn't mature.
Is this caused by nutritional issue, or something else? I know plants often produce exudate when under stress from pests or disease, but I don't see evidence of either. Any thoughts???
The pic on the right is the healthy one.

[estación seca]

It could be current or old damage from thrips. They hide in the potting mix.

[Louis_W]

It happens. Could be a bug, could probably be temperature thing, bumping it at the wrong time...

Its a bummer but i wouldnt read into it too much unless there is other similar problems elsewhere.

[Keysguy]

First off, thank you for teaching me a new word today.

I've had that happen in the past on aurantianca, believe it or not. I always just assumed it was caused by some internal pest damage but maybe it's just a genetic thing with them.

I bet you'll find that it flowers just fine, just maybe not as many flowers as the other one.

Having treated it, you certainly didn't do it any harm.

[DeaC]

Some of us would call the exudate "happy sap"...as the plant is experiencing good growing conditions.

[Mshab]

I'm beginning to think this is just how the plant is. Being a species it doesn't have the vigor of hybrids, and doesn't have the resources to push out two well developed inflorescences, and maybe it's a characteristic of the species. It's done this before with vegetative growths as well. Two will start but one ends up deformed and stunted. Everything else is healthy, and yes there's happy sap on the good buds. I've just never seen this on any of my other orchids.

[estación seca]

Cattliantye aurantiaca is normally an extremely vigorous plant. I think something is going on with arthropods and/or cultural environment issues.

[Mshab]

Could there be pests that are invisible to a high powered magnifying glass?
The stunted growth seems to be on the same side of the plant.

[estación seca]

Thrips do their damage in the very early bud stage, then move on. They are often not there by the time damage is visible.