What are these light transluscent patches popping up on my leaves?

[stylingpat]

Hey all, this is a new orchid I purchased a few weeks ago from home depot. Beautiful healthy plant but all of a sudden these patches are popping up on the leaves. You can really pick them out when you hold the plant up to a light. Here's some photos. Would hate to return the plant but its getting worse.

[stylingpat]

Here's photos. And none of this was on the leaves when
I purchased the plant about 2 weeks ago

[Gage]

Some of that looks like sun burn that just happened, and the full affect hasn't shown yet. Has it gotten direct midday sun?

[lepetitmartien]

Let's see:
- bought a few weeks ago
- from home depot (where in the USA?)
- random pattern => not mechanical nor insect related
- no lines/cracks following the pattern = no mechanical damage
- mesophile cells collapses…

I'd vote for cold damage first.

And/OR… something nasty in eating it, think bacterias. Do the "darkened zones" I can see in some collapsed areas stink ? Is the dark spreading fast?

If so, cut the zones darkening largely, and apply a bactericide, a systemic one (as a European, I can't tell the ones you have available)

If it's bacteria, it'll be fast, act accordingly.

Do not splash water on it or near it, separate it from others, wash you hands thoroughly after manipulating it and use sterilized tools you'll clean and sterilized afterwards. If the affected parts oozes some liquid, don't let it go on your hands nor on any plant, it's highly infectious for them.

[NYCorchidman]

My first thought was bacterial rot setting in.
If this gets worse within next few days, then...I don't know what to say. not good.

No matter how beautiful flowers are, I always check the overall look, especially leaves with questionable symptoms.

It is much easier to deal with healthy looking plants and keep them that way than to risk on suspicious plants.

[stylingpat]

So the spots dont smell and I feel like everything in the past day has halted. Maybe this was sunburn? The plant is in a NW window that gets direct sun for like 2 hours while the sun goes down. I was aware of the west window heat and had the shades slanted accordinly so there was more shade then light. But maybe on one of the days while I was working late I left the shades too open. There hasn't been any frost in the area for a while, I'm in N Louisiana.

I will just continue to monitor the plant!

[NYCorchidman]

Bacterial rots do not necessarily accompany nasty smell.
It is very unlikely that those marks are due to sunburn. Sunburned phals leaves develop large (or not so large) patch of brown or tan, sometimes with black center but not always the case.
Also sunburned spots are usually dry not "wet" looking.

NW exposure with 2 hours of late afternoon sun usually would not cause sunburn.

Cold damage causes the leaves to drop or turn mushy, if more severe, mushy and dark. the whole plant collapse and that's the end of it.

[stylingpat]

Well it wasnt cold damage, the plant is from florida and there hasnt been any cold spells latly in louisiana. Whats my next step of action for bacteria?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Test for virus.

It's most likely bacterial. But just to cover your bases, test for virus.

[stylingpat]

/sigh

where can I order a virus test kit