small holes in petals - possible small black bug

[Cranly]

I just recently got a zygopetalum. It came with 2 flowers open, but overnight last night a 3rd one opened. As I looked at it closer, I noticed a hole in the petal, which is odd since it had just been closed.
I think I caught sight of a small black bug moving away from from the hole, but I haven't seen it anymore, and I've been looking for it.

Any thoughts? What can I do?

The plant is across the room from my Phals, about bout a foot and a half away from a new phaph that I got on the same day, but from a different vendor. I am not seeing any holes or damage on the Phaph at this time.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Keep an eye out for that small black bug. does it look like a tiny beetle? if so, it could be a flea beetle, and they do chew holes in leaves & flowers; they are mostly outdoor pests, but could be in a greenhouse. They leave round to irregular holes, mostly on leaves, but sometimes on flowers.

You might try contacting the vendor, and see if they have been having a problem with flea beetles, or other small black bugs. They may be able to tell you "oh yes, we have been seeing _________ in our greenhouse and we treat plants with ___________ to control them." It is not likely that you have anything close to an infestation, but you want to treat before they start multiplying.

There are organic-gardening controls that may work with flea beetles and other mobile chewing insects (such as neem-based products). Bayer Advanced Rose & Flower spray is not an organic-gardening control, but does work on most insects.

[Cranly]

Upon my glance, i would say beetle sounds accurate.

Thanks for the advice!
I just gave them a call; she didn't know of anything off-hand.
She said to try a half-and-half mixture of rubbing alcohol and water and to put it on anything put the petals.

Does this seem advisable?

Otherwise though, i'm willing to go out and just get a product to nip this issue.

[WhiteRabbit]

The rubbing alcohol will kill what it comes in contact with, and should be safe on the blooms, but the bug may be hiding in crevices. If this were mine, I'd probably use a spray bottle to spray the plant well with the alcohol - water solution. A few drops of dish soap in there can be used, too, tho don't use any soap on the flowers or buds.

[Orchid Whisperer]

I would try either the neem product 9r the Bayer Rose & Flower product.

[bil]

and I would open my cupboard with the skull and crossbones on the door and reach for the chemical megadeath. Imacloporid as a systemic insecticide will ensure that if the little swine eats a hole in another petal, he will die.

All these lovey dovey natural treatments leave me cold, I'm afraid.

[estación seca]

That could also be mechanical damage. The bud might have bumped into or scraped against something before you bought it, or while you were moving it.