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Rust-like marks on leaves

Hi all,

A single (hybrid) nepenthes in my terrarium (out of dozens of plants) is showing these rust-like marks on all leaves. These marks started showing up a few weeks ago. None of the other plants sitting next to it are showing any such signs.
Do you know what could be the reason? And what should be done to cure it?

Thanks,

Shimi


 
To my (inexperienced) eyes, it just looks incredibly dry. I also see a lot of dead material in the background, more than what I would think is proper. Nepenthes leaves stay green and healthy for a -long- time, even after the pitchers have dried up.

This could easily be something more insidious though, so hopefully someone with more insight will be along shortly to give their advice.

It would probably be helpful to them if you told us the conditions that they're in (relative humidty, temperature, how much light they receive, etc.)
 
Get out your magnifying glass and check the undersides of the leaves for spider mites.
 
Thanks for the quick replies.

@Zath - it's not dry, the medium is moist just like every other plant in the terrarium. Most of the 'dead material' you see is part of an old stem that died over a year ago.

@Whimgrinder - I just looked under the leaves and I see nothing. This plant is a hybrid, most probably N. x (ventricosa x khasiana), which I have been growing for a couple of years. It has been growing steadily and pitchering all these years. The only change in conditions I can think of is this plant (and all other neighboring plants) used to get 1-2 hours of sunlight (in addition to fluorescent lights) and now they're getting very little sunlight, if any (they've been growing under fluorescent lights all these years, sunlight was supplemental).
 
Well, that sure looks like mite damage to me.
 
Undersides of the leaves are really what we need to see, but furthering what Paul said, it looks like mites, and likely Cyclamen Mites (UC IPM: UC Management Guidelines for Cyclamen Mite on Strawberry) which you absolutely can't see. Apply a contact pesticide like neem oil every few days and see if it disappears on new growth.
 
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Looks kinda like humidity issues.. But that's just me. Could also be the light being to close to the leaves drying them out causing a burn.. But I'm just guessing from when I've dealt with similar issues. Goodluck
 
+3 for mite damage. As a side note, it can be incredibly hard to see mites. A wet cotton swab on the underside of the leaves can reveal mites even if you can't see them with a magnifying glass.
 
So I thought I should reply (and thank) those who gave advice...

At the time, the one plant I posted the picture of was the only one which showed any symptoms, but several days later I noticed other plants started showing symptoms, including stalled growth and deformed leaves.
I used neem oil several times, as was suggested, and things look like they're back to normal.
Thanks for the advice!
 
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So I thought I should reply (and thank) those who gave advice...

At the time, the one plant I posted the picture of was the only one which showed any symptoms, but several days later I noticed other plants started showing symptoms, including stalled growth and deformed leaves.
I used neem oil several times, as was suggested, and things look like they're back to normal.
Thanks for the advice!

I'm glad to hear that! Thanks for the news. Enjoy your Nepenthes!
 
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