Tiny black dots/bugs on Phal flowers

[cfreidsma]

I picked up this phal a couple of days ago at the local grocery store. It looked pretty healthy for being at a non-plant centered store. I have a soft spot for these phals I guess

Once I got it home I noticed these incredibly tiny specs on the flowers moving around. There were maybe three or so. They don't really look like thrips, as they are not the right shape. That is if you can really tell when they are this tiny. I also don't know if they are spider mites, as I do not see any webs, and it seems that they are only on the flowers.

I just haven't seen these before, and I cannot find them on Google. I am taking them off as I see them with rubbing alcohol. I've only seen them twice, and like I said, it was only two or three at a time.

I've attached some pictures of the plant. It doesn't look perfect, but it looks pretty good for being from a regular store. I haven't repotted it yet, but the roots do not seem to have any rot or anything. The bugs aren't in the pictures, but if there is any noticeable damage it will be. Just figured someone might have an idea.

[rbarata]

The plants looks healthy.
Did you repot it?

[Dollythehun]

rbarata is correct, it looks healthy. I'd isolate it and watch it. The alcohol swab was a good idea. There are bugs in the world that don't harm orchids...although it doesn't seem like it.😊

[cfreidsma]

I haven't repotted it yet, but will be soon. I was rather surprised that it was actually planted in bark and not moss.

I love bugs, I actually keep tarantulas. If Some sort of pest got into my plant collection, I dont think they would ever get out though. Way to many small leafs and compact succulents.

I'll just keep the orchid isolated until the bugs stop showing up to be safe.

Thanks

[rbarata]

Usually tiny bugs on the medium is a sign of its degradation. Maybe they spread to the whole plant...

[PaphMadMan]

Sprigtails are a possibility for tiny bugs. Most often seen in the media, but possible anywhere, and they come in a variety of sizes and forms. Those would be mostly harmless.

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

[FourN6]

I'm wondering if this is the same bug I've been seeing lately on plants that have been in my collection for at least a year, some longer. What I'm seeing are small, black, almost perfectly round, shiny, hard-shelled things that are slow moving. About the size of a pinhead.

I first noticed them on my Neofinetia-just 2 or 3. So I repotted after soaking the whole plant in a Neem oil solution followed by a rubbing alcohol spray-down. Today, I saw the same bugs on a mounted Phal. The Phal and Neofinetia aren't anywhere close to each other in my growing space and these things don't appear to be able to fly so I was quite surprised to find them on a mounted plant.

As cfreidsma said, I can't find anything similar on Google. They don't look like aphids, don't look like thrips. Look more like itty bitty black beetles...like those buzzy beetles in the NES Mario games.

[cfreidsma]

That sounds exactly like them. There were only a couple at a time, no damage or anything, they moved slow, extremely tiny. I just sprayed with rubbing alcohol and waited a day. Then sprayed again. The bugs never came back. I quarantine all new plants by default though.

Mine are gone, whatever they were. This orchid is in a hanging moss ball planter with orchid bark. Sort of like those kokedama but with orchid bark. Looks happy and is still flowering.

Wish I would have still had my microscope...