Mystery pest

[Clint]

I've got something that looks like scale, but I don't think it is.

It's small, white, flat, cottony-looking (but NOT fluffy), stationary, and oval/round. Found them growing where the ala meets the pitcher wall on one of my Heliamphora.

Can't find pics of it anywhere and I've been searching and searching. It's hollow, too! No juicy bug inside that I can see. It's like a scale-shaped cocoon or something. I saw a grand daddy long leg spider living in the vicinity of them so I googled the egg sac pics for that spider and it looks totally different, so I think he's just an innocent bystander this time

There was also no damage to the pitcher where they were (but would there have been a week from now? who knows?), but they were old, half dead pitchers so I removed them anyway.



I plan on spraying ortho but I'd still like to know what they are.

 

[Pyro]

Mealy bugs

 

[Clint]

That's what I initially thought but it's not fluffy at all, it doesn't rub off easily like mealy bug webbing, and it didn't move. It was hollow underneath (because it was between the ala and the pitcher wall) like a cocoon or something. There was nothing there that I could see, and no bug juice came out when I crushed it (how gross!)

 

[Not a Number]

Daddy long legs poop?

 

[vraev]

actually I noticed something like that on my plants...I notied it in bags of newzealand living LFS. it seems like segments of the moss that seems to detach... knda liek a scale of the moss. its white,transparent and stationary. I have seen it in my terrariums and also on my neps. if we are talking about the same thing then it shouldn't be too much of a worry.

 

[Clint]

Wow, you think it could be a dead bits of Sphagnum?

If it is I sure would feel silly lmao

 

[vraev]

well....I can compare it if you show me a pic...but as I describe it...if it seems familiar to u...then maybe that is what it is. lol! I think try to keep a constant lookout. The thing SHOULDN'T MOVE. it should stay there. You shouldn't see any necrosis of the tissue of the plant...or any discolouration or smears or anything. If this is true then yeah....maybe its just sphag.