Is this the result of spider mites on my Aganisia cyanea?

[lotis146]

I posted about this under my thread in the Maxillaria alliance but figure I should post here as well.

This was it in bud about a month or so ago:



Here's how the blooms turned out:


Then after the blooms died, which they did quickly, in part b/c I pollinated two of them, this is what happened to the leaf on the last growth:










Any idea what this is? Is it spider mites? Lord help me if it is b/c this plant has been cozied up among the others!

[campchi]

I dont know but I think it might be aphids, maybe someone with more experience can chip in.

[bethmarie]

Others have suggested taking a damp white paper towel and wiping the leaf/leaves affected. If the paper towel has red/brown dots or smears, you probably are dealing with mites.

I've had mites blast buds and brown areas of leaves, so it may be that. Picture 5 does seem to show the silvering of the leaf underside that mites produce, but my experience isn't broad enough to say for sure.

[campchi]

Either way, I'll say spray the plants with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide and and rinse it after a few minutes. Then potted with fresh new media.

[euplusia]

Anthraknose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, a fungal infection that prefers warm air and high humidity and is spread by water.
I'd cut away the dark spot with a sharp razor blade in order to prevent the fungus from forming spores.
Lower humidity and improve air movement. Eventually use a fungicide like Azoxystrobin.

[gerneveyn]

Spider mite damage leaves areas where the leaves look bleached out and the texture upon close inspection is uneven. Getting rid of them takes a few applications of insecticide to get rid of all stage forms of the insect from egg to mature adult.