Disgusting Bug on Dendrobium

[orchidaddict789]

I found this gross thing attached to a leaf of my new dend (which is otherwise healthy). I managed to get it off the plant without my skin making contact with it. Then I wrapped it up, took some pics, and threw it in the trash. It's about less than half an inch long, moves, and is extremely disgusting (don't look at the pic below if you're afraid of getting grossed out). Doesn't look too much like a caterpillar to me. The leaf is fine, except for a little "injury" where the bug was eating...I see no other bugs so far, so hopefully they're gone...

What is this? Anything serious?

[Tanya]

It looks like a caterpillar to me.

[orchidaddict789]

Hopefully you're right!

At first I thought it wasn't a caterpillar because it had no legs and had a "sucking" mouth or something...I'm no insect expert, of course. But OK, I'll call it a caterpillar--now that you mentioned it, it does seem to be like one.

I got worried that it may be some "exotic" poisonous bug lurking around my orchids (bugs make me feel very nervous and ). Well, good thing is that a caterpillar isn't *that* much of a big deal, though I will remain cautious.

I guess I got over-worried...

[OrchidTraci]

Have you repotted it yet? I'd be curious if there are any more critters lurking in the medium. Have you soaked it good? That will usually draw out the critters. What kind of den it is anyways?

[orchidaddict789]

Have you repotted it yet? I'd be curious if there are any more critters lurking in the medium. Have you soaked it good? That will usually draw out the critters. What kind of den it is anyways?

Hi OrchidTraci,
I just got the den two days ago, so I haven't repotted it yet. I did take it out of the pot to check its roots (and any other bugs in there). I didn't *see* any, though...but I can't confirm that there aren't any bugs in there. No, I haven't soaked it yet, but I will soon--sounds like a good idea. I don't know what kind of den it is because it has no label. For now, it's a NoID. I'll wait for the bugs to open...oops, I mean, buds to open so it's easier to ID it. I'm sure that it's nothing rare, but my guess is that it's a phal-dend, but again, that's just a guess.

[LJA]

Yep, grub or larva. Have no idea what kind, but they'll definitely do damage, whatever kind. The nice thing is, that one probably just dropped in. If you're not seeing a hundred of them, it's doubtful that an egg sack of them hatched out. Even so, as Traci suggested, either submerge the pot for an hour or two or repot in fresh medium after getting all the old stuff off of the roots.