virus or pest on this orchid?

[Miller]

Before:


After:


Any ideas which horrible animal/fungus/virus or criminal did this? This the first of my Catts that I have had the pleasure to get to bloom.

Miller

[Katherine]

OMG! so sorry!

[OrchidAddict]

Okay... I'm not a catt expert by any means, but since no one else has posted any ideas, and I see that 80 people or so have viewed this thread already, I'm just going to jump in here with a couple of questions...

How much time passed between the first and second picture?

Has it rained since your catt bloomed?

I don't keep my catts outside when they're blooming, but I do have petunias outside all summer, and they can start to look like this after they've been exposed to heat, sunshine, and rain. Petals that are gorgeous and fluffy one day will be scorched in areas if we have a particularly hot day (this looks like what might have happened to the top edges of the petals on your top flower.) It's particularly noticeable on the white-flowered petunias, and the damage looks similar to what you have on your catts.

Likewise, if there is a rainstorm and raindrops sit on the petals, it can cause all sorts of spotting. When I look at your flowers, I don't really see fungus/virus type symptoms, but more physical damage, like what happens to my petunias when it rains.

I'm sorry this happened to your beautiful flowers! I see that you have them hanging under a slatted roof. Could there be any chemicals in the wood that could be leaching out during a rainstorm and dripping onto your petunia petals? Do you put fertilizer in the water you use to water your hanging plants? If so, the fertilizer could be burning the petals where it drips onto them. Petals are much more delicate than the leaves themselves, and if this is your first catt to bloom, it would be the first time you'd see fertilizer damage on the flowers.

At any rate, it doesn't look like any kind of fungus I've seen, and it doesn't appear that anything's been chewing at your flowers... give some thought to whether your water could in any way contain anything that is burning the petals... and also consider how the sun is hitting the plant as it is in bloom. Blooming orchids are often moved to shadier, protected conditions when the flowers open to keep the petals intact, because direct sun makes blooms wither much faster and can burn them if it is too hot.

My guess is that there's something in the water that is falling on these flowers that's causing the spots, and that the raggedy-looking edges are symptoms of drying out from sun exposure.

Having said that... if any of you "catt people" see this and know exactly what it is, please correct me so I know what to do if it occurs on any of mine!

So sorry this happened to your beautiful plant! The blooms were just lovely!

[Ron-NY]

not positive but it could be cymbidium mosaic virus, which can effect the flower. Any problem with leaves on the plant?

[Miller]

So my first thought after some research is thrips. I left for Barbados (for work no fun) last Monday and had already notice some much smaller spots. I few days to a week or so earlier I notice some very tiny slender long bugs on the blooms. As far as conditions outside, it has been a very mild cool spring for us here in Houston so I don't think heat or sun is the issue. The leaves on the plant are fine nothing unusual there. I've bloomed other type orchids under the slatted roof that bloomed and kept there flowers for weeks even in the heat of summer. let me know if I left out any pertinent information for possible diagnosis.

Thanks everyone!
Miller

[stateless]

I don't think thrips, it looks like something got sprayed or splashed on the blooms, like a chemical or someting caustic to the flowers, but I 'm no expert

[Pansy Orchid]

problems like this can be disappointing to say the least. I suspect its water damage specially if you have liquid mix fertiliser Never get it on your flowers period. we always take plants indoors when in flower or under a solid roof. as for timber shade houses aged timber can have wet or dry rot, maybe the spores from decaying wood might contribute to damage ? but this also happens in the forest as in nature I have seen many 60year old shade houses some quite large and wondered if timber rot causes problems . one solution is to use systemic fungerside , but make sure you protect your body with appropriate protection and breathing filter mask water proof gloves etc. people have been known to suffer from kidney failure and died due to long time use of carciogenic chemicals . safe way is ok to place whole plant in appropriate tub of treatment for 15 minutes at least , rather than spraying method , but still take care . I do this occasionally . happy growing from Australia Richard

[tucker85]

The most common fungus that affects flowers is Botrytis. That's probably what you have. You won't know that Botytis fungus is on your orchids until some white or light colored flowers bloom. These fungii are cosmetic only, they don't hurt the plant. The spots are usually smaller than the spots on your orchids but the solution to leaf spotting and flower spotting fungus is always the same; regular treatment with the fungicide. I use a fungicide that combines a topical and systemic, once a month.

[angela]

Hi Miller
I will jump in and give my very HO. I do not see Virus or Thrips. Your leaves are very healthy.
I am going to suggest that the damage was caused by a chemical. Do you have neighbours up-wind of you who use herbesides (weed-killers)? Note that the flower stems also seemed to be burned.

[Puppies2]

Gorgeous Cattleya!!! Sounds like and looks like thrips to me, especially since you said the little black long insects were seen....and they crawl soooooo very fast! AOS website has some great information and pictures of the damage to the orchid blooms. Good luck and let us know the outcome.