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need a pest ID

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carbonetc

I bought a few nepenthes from a retailer that isn't held in the highest esteem here. I just wanted to give them a try with some cheap plants that I couldn't find anywhere else and see first-hand if they lived up to the mediocre reputation.

The plants arrived in okay shape, but a month later I discover that one of them is covered in some sort of pest. I'm having trouble figuring out what it is.

HQ6z3mIl.jpg


larger image here

They don't really look like any of the pests I'm told are common with nepenthes. I also have a suspicion that these are not the pests themselves, but what was left over from some kind of metamorphosis, because they don't move and when you smear them with your finger they just come off as powder.

Any ideas? Thank you.
 
There are a few pest experts that will probably chime in - until then, take a look at this thread.
 
snow scales. potentially bad news. reproduce quickly and will spread if not controlled
 
Kulamauiman nailed it. Snow scale is exactly what they look like. I'll do some elimination research. Thanks guys.
 
Now I'm starting to have doubts, because they don't look nearly as ridged as the scale in those photos. I also looked at asian cycad scale, which looks very close, but I ruled it out because the males and females of asian cycad scale look very different, and I only saw what would be males.

Anyway, some sort of scale is the likely answer, and I assume any kind of scale is treated the same way. I'm looking into systemic insecticide or maybe a dry ice bomb since all possibly infected plants are either in baggies or a terrarium.
 
Check hibiscus snow scales. The most common one you find on neps. Even in nurseries that produce high end neps. For the hobbyist it can wipe you out. The cycad scales otoh are host specific to cycads
 
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These are exactly what was on one of my nepenthes in small enclosed terrarium

What is a dry ice bomb? How can i do that in my terrarium without hurting the plants?
 
  • #11
CP4ever said:
oh so you can't use a dry ice bomb in terrarium without killing all your plants too?
Click to expand...

Dry ice "bombing" should not pose a problem to your plants. Only issue there should be if any of the plants wind-up in direct contact with the dry ice or the container (assuming a thin cheap container like that in your link).

As far as effectiveness goes, YMMV. Tried this in a couple large terrs in which I was battling a bush snail infestation. Didn't see any decline in the snail population. No idea as to its effectiveness vs scale.
 
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