Help identifying an orchid pest, please :)

[katrina]

Baby centipedes (or millipedes, I always get them mixed up)....eeeeeeeekeeeeees! Looks just like the adults except they are white.

Scroll down for a look at a brood of the ugly little buggers...
Centipede babies


another link for right here on OB
baby centipedes (??)

[runs screaming from the computer screen]

[bethmarie]

[QUOTE=katrina;787322]Baby centipedes (or millipedes, I always get them mixed up)....eeeeeeeekeeeeees! Looks just like the adults except they are white.

Well, gross. Just...gross. Any thoughts on whether they actually damage the plant? Or do they just traumatize the orchid keeper?

[Leafmite]

I had no idea, really, but, looking at some pictures, I think Katrina is right.
From what I understand, they are predators of other bugs and considered beneficial but that has never been any consolation to me, either. I usually just release this type outside, though (dump the entire mess as quickly as possible and scurry away), so they can carry on their work somewhere else.

[katrina]

I believe just traumatize the orchid grower and I think it's a conspiracy w/in the bug world.

My understanding is that, like leaf mentioned, they are beneficial because they go after other bugs. I'm ok w/a lot of beneficials but when i see one of those come running out at me (and yes, I believe they are out to get me) then I make it my mission to get rid of them. They scare the **** out of me. And when I say "get rid of" I do mean die...they must die.

If you've seen my grow space, I have to do part of my tending to things while on a ladder and one time I had an adult come crawling out of a pot at me and I nearly fell off the ladder. They. Freak. Me. Out. Not as much as spiders do...but they are a very close second.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Centipedes are predators, millipedes are scavengers. My guess is that these may be millipedes, if they are eating plant material; they may be feeding on dead plant material.

Another possibility is that they are centipedes, feeding on some other creature living in the plant?

To add further confusion, there are "wood eating centipedes", which are actually millipedes. We get these a lot here in Georgia when the weather is wet.

Bottom line, I don't think these are damaging your plant, but if you feel they are just gross - understandable to want to get rid of them.

[estación seca]

I think they're cute.

[bethmarie]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I think they're cute.

Surely you jest

Thank you everyone for your help.

I'm going to start a thread with pics of the plant that was harboring these maggoty creatures. Maybe you all can help me figure out if it's calcium deficient or something else.

[nikkik]

I think I may have the pest mystery solved....Garden Symphylan.

Give it a google search and see what you think. And from glancing over a few tidbits of info. these guys would be doing harm to your plant.

[katrina]

I'm not saying it isn't that Symph thingee, Nikki, but looking at the link it sounds like they live in soil so I can't help but think it might just be babies of the other icky creature due to the plant being in lava. Just a thought. Whatever it is though...it's ugly and creepy and I would want it gone. EEK!

[nikkik]

Originally Posted by katrina

I'm not saying it isn't that Symph thingee, Nikki, but looking at the link it sounds like they live in soil so I can't help but think it might just be babies of the other icky creature due to the plant being in lava. Just a thought. Whatever it is though...it's ugly and creepy and I would want it gone. EEK!

I'm no pest expert and you could be right. I only thought it seemed like a match because of Beth Marie's description (fast and not liking light). What I read is they live in soil to burrow in worms' tunnels, but lava rock has holes (or tunnels) and the roots are an organic substance to feed on, plus these guys are related to centipedes. Maybe I grasps too far, but there's the rationale behind my thinking.

I also agree with you, I wouldn't want them either!