I just found a ladybug on an orchid. This is an orchid that appears to be
healthy, but has been producing copious amounts of honeydew. I have read
somewhere that lady pugs eat aphids ( or was it some other orchid pest?)
Question: Would the ladybug be attracted to the honeydew, or does the
presence of the lady bug suggest that there likely is some pest present and
that the ladybug is eating it? Anyhow, my understanding is that the ladybug
itself is not an orchid pest but rather a benefactor, right?

Thanks,
Joanna

Joanna. Your definately right because the flower and bulb flyers
that come out have a section on beneficial bugs. You can actually order
insects to help fight pests in a garden. Two of these were lady bugs and
praying mantises. (they would come in egg form) He was on
patrol.........Burr

The lady bug is a beneficial insect, unless you happen to be one of it's
meals.

They probably eat many insects around the size of an aphid or smaller,
including mites

Glands along the stem of Phals produce the stuff we call honeydew, probably
to attract the pollinator.

It the honeydew you are speaking of is along the margin of your phal leaves,
it is probably mites, but there are glands on leaves too...

However, aphids and mites help produce the stuff as a result of their
feeding.

The insects do it with their piercing/sucking mouthparts.

Aphids, specifically, produce honeydew when they pierce the plant tissue
with their straw-like mouthpart. The pressure inside the plant tissue
pushes plant sap literally and explosively into the insect. Aphids have two
little exhaust valves on their backend. These are called cornicles, I
believe, and one of their functions is to allow the sap someplace to exit
without blowing the insect apart. I have seen slow motion videos of an
aphid plunging it's mouthpart into tissue and the liquid literally pushing
into and through the body and out the cornicles.

I don't think mites have cornicles, but they do have piercing/sucking
mouthparts.

No matter how it got their, until it turns black from age and molds, it is
just sap. Even if it has passed through the body of a bug, it still tastes
sweet. Go ahead taste it. It won't hurt you. :-)

I speculate that the lady bug found the plant is due to the honeydew.
However the best way to know what's going on with your plant is to look for
aphids and, using a magnifying glass, look for mites.

The exudates' pattern is different for insects as opposed to natural
glandular goo. It is usually more pervasive if you have a mite infestation
and you are much more likely to find sooty mold.



The easiest way to get your question answered
"J Fortuna" <joanna [at] REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
news:enS8g.13007$0d3.3457 [at] trnddc08...
>I just found a ladybug on an orchid. This is an orchid that appears to be
>healthy, but has been producing copious amounts of honeydew. I have read
>somewhere that lady pugs eat aphids ( or was it some other orchid pest?)
>Question: Would the ladybug be attracted to the honeydew, or does the
>presence of the lady bug suggest that there likely is some pest present and
>that the ladybug is eating it? Anyhow, my understanding is that the ladybug
>itself is not an orchid pest but rather a benefactor, right?
>
> Thanks,
> Joanna
>

Mites can be detected with a sheet of white paper and a pencil....

So Al, you're telling Joanna to taste the honeydew that has been
pushed through aphids cornicles?????????? DON'T do it Joanna! *g*

--
Cheers Wendy

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

Al <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote:
> The lady bug is a beneficial insect, unless you happen to be one of
> it's meals.
>
> They probably eat many insects around the size of an aphid or smaller,
> including mites
>
> Glands along the stem of Phals produce the stuff we call honeydew,
> probably to attract the pollinator.
>
> It the honeydew you are speaking of is along the margin of your phal
> leaves, it is probably mites, but there are glands on leaves too...
>
> However, aphids and mites help produce the stuff as a result of their
> feeding.
>
> The insects do it with their piercing/sucking mouthparts.
>
> Aphids, specifically, produce honeydew when they pierce the plant
> tissue with their straw-like mouthpart. The pressure inside the
> plant tissue pushes plant sap literally and explosively into the
> insect. Aphids have two little exhaust valves on their backend. These are called
> cornicles, I believe, and one of their functions is
> to allow the sap someplace to exit without blowing the insect apart. I have seen
> slow motion videos of an aphid plunging it's mouthpart
> into tissue and the liquid literally pushing into and through the
> body and out the cornicles.
> I don't think mites have cornicles, but they do have piercing/sucking
> mouthparts.
>
> No matter how it got their, until it turns black from age and molds,
> it is just sap. Even if it has passed through the body of a bug, it
> still tastes sweet. Go ahead taste it. It won't hurt you. :-)
>
> I speculate that the lady bug found the plant is due to the honeydew.
> However the best way to know what's going on with your plant is to
> look for aphids and, using a magnifying glass, look for mites.
>
> The exudates' pattern is different for insects as opposed to natural
> glandular goo. It is usually more pervasive if you have a mite
> infestation and you are much more likely to find sooty mold.
>
>
>
> The easiest way to get your question answered
> "J Fortuna" <joanna [at] REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
> news:enS8g.13007$0d3.3457 [at] trnddc08...
>> I just found a ladybug on an orchid. This is an orchid that appears
>> to be healthy, but has been producing copious amounts of honeydew. I
>> have read somewhere that lady pugs eat aphids ( or was it some other
>> orchid pest?) Question: Would the ladybug be attracted to the
>> honeydew, or does the presence of the lady bug suggest that there
>> likely is some pest present and that the ladybug is eating it?
>> Anyhow, my understanding is that the ladybug itself is not an orchid
>> pest but rather a benefactor, right? Thanks,
>> Joanna

I'm fairly certain Joanna won't be licking her orchids just because I
suggested it.

No, actually I read a while back, somebody in this newsgroup telling people
to taste honeydew because it was sweet and produced naturally by the plant
and it wouldn't hurt them. Well that's true. It had something to do with
a mite question.... What we call "honeydew' has several causes. And even
the stuff pushed through an aphid or leaking from a wound caused by mite
feeding won't hurt anyone and it tastes just as sweet if you can stomach the
knowledge of where it MIGHT have been. :-)

And yes there are many indicators of mites...the presence of ladybugs might
be one of them. This time of year, in our area, (Joanna lives near me)
Ladybugs are coming out of hibernation and looking for someplace warm and
bright to sun themselves as well as a food source, so their presence,
especially indoors, is not surprising. My sunroom porch has many of them on
the inside of the glass and looking for a whey out. err...weigh out. Oh
darn, what's the write word hear....

"wendy7" <wendy7PETERPAN [at] cox.net> wrote in message
news:T549g.28084$fG3.1175 [at] dukeread09...
> So Al, you're telling Joanna to taste the honeydew that has been
> pushed through aphids cornicles?????????? DON'T do it Joanna! *g*
>
> --
> Cheers Wendy
>
> Remove PETERPAN for email reply
>
> Al <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote:
>> The lady bug is a beneficial insect, unless you happen to be one of
>> it's meals.
>>
>> They probably eat many insects around the size of an aphid or smaller,
>> including mites
>>
>> Glands along the stem of Phals produce the stuff we call honeydew,
>> probably to attract the pollinator.
>>
>> It the honeydew you are speaking of is along the margin of your phal
>> leaves, it is probably mites, but there are glands on leaves too...
>>
>> However, aphids and mites help produce the stuff as a result of their
>> feeding.
>>
>> The insects do it with their piercing/sucking mouthparts.
>>
>> Aphids, specifically, produce honeydew when they pierce the plant
>> tissue with their straw-like mouthpart. The pressure inside the
>> plant tissue pushes plant sap literally and explosively into the
>> insect. Aphids have two little exhaust valves on their backend. These
>> are called cornicles, I believe, and one of their functions is
>> to allow the sap someplace to exit without blowing the insect apart. I
>> have seen slow motion videos of an aphid plunging it's mouthpart
>> into tissue and the liquid literally pushing into and through the
>> body and out the cornicles.
>> I don't think mites have cornicles, but they do have piercing/sucking
>> mouthparts.
>>
>> No matter how it got their, until it turns black from age and molds,
>> it is just sap. Even if it has passed through the body of a bug, it
>> still tastes sweet. Go ahead taste it. It won't hurt you. :-)
>>
>> I speculate that the lady bug found the plant is due to the honeydew.
>> However the best way to know what's going on with your plant is to
>> look for aphids and, using a magnifying glass, look for mites.
>>
>> The exudates' pattern is different for insects as opposed to natural
>> glandular goo. It is usually more pervasive if you have a mite
>> infestation and you are much more likely to find sooty mold.
>>
>>
>>
>> The easiest way to get your question answered
>> "J Fortuna" <joanna [at] REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
>> news:enS8g.13007$0d3.3457 [at] trnddc08...
>>> I just found a ladybug on an orchid. This is an orchid that appears
>>> to be healthy, but has been producing copious amounts of honeydew. I
>>> have read somewhere that lady pugs eat aphids ( or was it some other
>>> orchid pest?) Question: Would the ladybug be attracted to the
>>> honeydew, or does the presence of the lady bug suggest that there
>>> likely is some pest present and that the ladybug is eating it?
>>> Anyhow, my understanding is that the ladybug itself is not an orchid
>>> pest but rather a benefactor, right? Thanks,
>>> Joanna
>
>

On Fri, 12 May 2006 14:03:05 -0700, Al wrote
(in article <xpidnTb8GpWSZfnZnZ2dnUVZ_uudnZ2d [at] adelphia.com>):

> I'm fairly certain Joanna won't be licking her orchids just because I
> suggested it.
>
> No, actually I read a while back, somebody in this newsgroup telling people
> to taste honeydew because it was sweet and produced naturally by the plant
> and it wouldn't hurt them. Well that's true. It had something to do with
> a mite question.... What we call "honeydew' has several causes. And even
> the stuff pushed through an aphid or leaking from a wound caused by mite
> feeding won't hurt anyone and it tastes just as sweet if you can stomach the
> knowledge of where it MIGHT have been. :-)
>
> And yes there are many indicators of mites...the presence of ladybugs might
> be one of them. This time of year, in our area, (Joanna lives near me)
> Ladybugs are coming out of hibernation and looking for someplace warm and
> bright to sun themselves as well as a food source, so their presence,
> especially indoors, is not surprising. My sunroom porch has many of them on
> the inside of the glass and looking for a whey out. err...weigh out. Oh
> darn, what's the write word hear....
>
> "wendy7" <wendy7PETERPAN [at] cox.net> wrote in message
> news:T549g.28084$fG3.1175 [at] dukeread09...
>> So Al, you're telling Joanna to taste the honeydew that has been
>> pushed through aphids cornicles?????????? DON'T do it Joanna! *g*
>>
>> --
>> Cheers Wendy
>>
>> Remove PETERPAN for email reply
>>
>> Al <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote:
>>> The lady bug is a beneficial insect, unless you happen to be one of
>>> it's meals.
>>>
>>> They probably eat many insects around the size of an aphid or smaller,
>>> including mites
>>>
>>> Glands along the stem of Phals produce the stuff we call honeydew,
>>> probably to attract the pollinator.
>>>
>>> It the honeydew you are speaking of is along the margin of your phal
>>> leaves, it is probably mites, but there are glands on leaves too...
>>>
>>> However, aphids and mites help produce the stuff as a result of their
>>> feeding.
>>>
>>> The insects do it with their piercing/sucking mouthparts.
>>>
>>> Aphids, specifically, produce honeydew when they pierce the plant
>>> tissue with their straw-like mouthpart. The pressure inside the
>>> plant tissue pushes plant sap literally and explosively into the
>>> insect. Aphids have two little exhaust valves on their backend. These
>>> are called cornicles, I believe, and one of their functions is
>>> to allow the sap someplace to exit without blowing the insect apart. I
>>> have seen slow motion videos of an aphid plunging it's mouthpart
>>> into tissue and the liquid literally pushing into and through the
>>> body and out the cornicles.
>>> I don't think mites have cornicles, but they do have piercing/sucking
>>> mouthparts.
>>>
>>> No matter how it got their, until it turns black from age and molds,
>>> it is just sap. Even if it has passed through the body of a bug, it
>>> still tastes sweet. Go ahead taste it. It won't hurt you. :-)
>>>
>>> I speculate that the lady bug found the plant is due to the honeydew.
>>> However the best way to know what's going on with your plant is to
>>> look for aphids and, using a magnifying glass, look for mites.
>>>
>>> The exudates' pattern is different for insects as opposed to natural
>>> glandular goo. It is usually more pervasive if you have a mite
>>> infestation and you are much more likely to find sooty mold.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The easiest way to get your question answered
>>> "J Fortuna" <joanna [at] REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
>>> news:enS8g.13007$0d3.3457 [at] trnddc08...
>>>> I just found a ladybug on an orchid. This is an orchid that appears
>>>> to be healthy, but has been producing copious amounts of honeydew. I
>>>> have read somewhere that lady pugs eat aphids ( or was it some other
>>>> orchid pest?) Question: Would the ladybug be attracted to the
>>>> honeydew, or does the presence of the lady bug suggest that there
>>>> likely is some pest present and that the ladybug is eating it?
>>>> Anyhow, my understanding is that the ladybug itself is not an orchid
>>>> pest but rather a benefactor, right? Thanks,
>>>> Joanna

This arrived just in time to recommend to you all an incredible film called
Microcosmos (available on Netflix). Made in France, the macro and
microvideography, subject matter and music are all splendid, and it shows,
among other things, aphids sucking and pooping honeydew, with ants collecting
it. Don't think you have to lick their cornicles, Joanna, but maybe Robert
would think it fun!
Tom
Walnut Creek, CA
Nikon D70

"Al" <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote in message
news:nrOdnZ5V08HGFPnZRVn-pQ [at] adelphia.com...

<snip>
> Glands along the stem of Phals produce the stuff we call honeydew,
> probably to attract the pollinator.
>
> It the honeydew you are speaking of is along the margin of your phal
> leaves, it is probably mites, but there are glands on leaves too...

<snip>
> I speculate that the lady bug found the plant is due to the honeydew.
> However the best way to know what's going on with your plant is to look
> for aphids and, using a magnifying glass, look for mites.

Al,
As far as I can tell all the honeydew on this Phal is along its spikes, none
is on the leaves. Hmm, I don't own a magnifying glass, so using one to look
for aphids or mites would require a shopping trip. I think for now I will
hope/assume that all is well but keep the Phal under daily observation just
in case, and only buy a magnifying glass if anything else appears
suspicious. It appears to be a really healthy Phal, actually you know this
one since it came from your greenhouse -- it's the one I call Big Momma
(Phal. (Carmela's Brite Lites 'Big City' x Kenneth Wong 'Carmela') that I
got as a gift from several rgo regulars on the occasion of Robert's birth.
It's lost some of its first round of flowers in the meantime, a few flowers
remain, and now it's in the process of growing additional buds.
Joanna

Tom,
I am sure Robert would indeed consider it fun, since he is right now in the
stage where everything gets put in the mouth. Somehow though, I don't think
I will encourage him in this direction. Yuck.
Joanna

"tbell" <nobody [at] home.com> wrote in message
news:0001HW.C08A5BAA00080065F0284530 [at] news.giganews.com...
> On Fri, 12 May 2006 14:03:05 -0700, Al wrote
> (in article <xpidnTb8GpWSZfnZnZ2dnUVZ_uudnZ2d [at] adelphia.com>):
>
>> I'm fairly certain Joanna won't be licking her orchids just because I
>> suggested it.
>>
>> No, actually I read a while back, somebody in this newsgroup telling
>> people
>> to taste honeydew because it was sweet and produced naturally by the
>> plant
>> and it wouldn't hurt them. Well that's true. It had something to do
>> with
>> a mite question.... What we call "honeydew' has several causes. And
>> even
>> the stuff pushed through an aphid or leaking from a wound caused by mite
>> feeding won't hurt anyone and it tastes just as sweet if you can stomach
>> the
>> knowledge of where it MIGHT have been. :-)
>>
>> And yes there are many indicators of mites...the presence of ladybugs
>> might
>> be one of them. This time of year, in our area, (Joanna lives near me)
>> Ladybugs are coming out of hibernation and looking for someplace warm and
>> bright to sun themselves as well as a food source, so their presence,
>> especially indoors, is not surprising. My sunroom porch has many of them
>> on
>> the inside of the glass and looking for a whey out. err...weigh out.
>> Oh
>> darn, what's the write word hear....
>>
>> "wendy7" <wendy7PETERPAN [at] cox.net> wrote in message
>> news:T549g.28084$fG3.1175 [at] dukeread09...
>>> So Al, you're telling Joanna to taste the honeydew that has been
>>> pushed through aphids cornicles?????????? DON'T do it Joanna! *g*
>>>
>>> --
>>> Cheers Wendy
>>>
>>> Remove PETERPAN for email reply
>>>
>>> Al <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote:
>>>> The lady bug is a beneficial insect, unless you happen to be one of
>>>> it's meals.
>>>>
>>>> They probably eat many insects around the size of an aphid or smaller,
>>>> including mites
>>>>
>>>> Glands along the stem of Phals produce the stuff we call honeydew,
>>>> probably to attract the pollinator.
>>>>
>>>> It the honeydew you are speaking of is along the margin of your phal
>>>> leaves, it is probably mites, but there are glands on leaves too...
>>>>
>>>> However, aphids and mites help produce the stuff as a result of their
>>>> feeding.
>>>>
>>>> The insects do it with their piercing/sucking mouthparts.
>>>>
>>>> Aphids, specifically, produce honeydew when they pierce the plant
>>>> tissue with their straw-like mouthpart. The pressure inside the
>>>> plant tissue pushes plant sap literally and explosively into the
>>>> insect. Aphids have two little exhaust valves on their backend. These
>>>> are called cornicles, I believe, and one of their functions is
>>>> to allow the sap someplace to exit without blowing the insect apart. I
>>>> have seen slow motion videos of an aphid plunging it's mouthpart
>>>> into tissue and the liquid literally pushing into and through the
>>>> body and out the cornicles.
>>>> I don't think mites have cornicles, but they do have piercing/sucking
>>>> mouthparts.
>>>>
>>>> No matter how it got their, until it turns black from age and molds,
>>>> it is just sap. Even if it has passed through the body of a bug, it
>>>> still tastes sweet. Go ahead taste it. It won't hurt you. :-)
>>>>
>>>> I speculate that the lady bug found the plant is due to the honeydew.
>>>> However the best way to know what's going on with your plant is to
>>>> look for aphids and, using a magnifying glass, look for mites.
>>>>
>>>> The exudates' pattern is different for insects as opposed to natural
>>>> glandular goo. It is usually more pervasive if you have a mite
>>>> infestation and you are much more likely to find sooty mold.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The easiest way to get your question answered
>>>> "J Fortuna" <joanna [at] REMOVEfortunabujard.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:enS8g.13007$0d3.3457 [at] trnddc08...
>>>>> I just found a ladybug on an orchid. This is an orchid that appears
>>>>> to be healthy, but has been producing copious amounts of honeydew. I
>>>>> have read somewhere that lady pugs eat aphids ( or was it some other
>>>>> orchid pest?) Question: Would the ladybug be attracted to the
>>>>> honeydew, or does the presence of the lady bug suggest that there
>>>>> likely is some pest present and that the ladybug is eating it?
>>>>> Anyhow, my understanding is that the ladybug itself is not an orchid
>>>>> pest but rather a benefactor, right? Thanks,
>>>>> Joanna
>
> This arrived just in time to recommend to you all an incredible film
> called
> Microcosmos (available on Netflix). Made in France, the macro and
> microvideography, subject matter and music are all splendid, and it shows,
> among other things, aphids sucking and pooping honeydew, with ants
> collecting
> it. Don't think you have to lick their cornicles, Joanna, but maybe Robert
> would think it fun!
> Tom
> Walnut Creek, CA
> Nikon D70
>

Al <nospam [at] all.ever> wrote:
> I'm fairly certain Joanna won't be licking her orchids just because I
> suggested it.
>
> No, actually I read a while back, somebody in this newsgroup telling
> people to taste honeydew because it was sweet and produced naturally
> by the plant and it wouldn't hurt them. Well that's true. It had
> something to do with a mite question.... What we call "honeydew' has
> several causes. And even the stuff pushed through an aphid or
> leaking from a wound caused by mite feeding won't hurt anyone and it
> tastes just as sweet if you can stomach the knowledge of where it
> MIGHT have been. :-)
> And yes there are many indicators of mites...the presence of ladybugs
> might be one of them. This time of year, in our area, (Joanna lives
> near me) Ladybugs are coming out of hibernation and looking for
> someplace warm and bright to sun themselves as well as a food source,
> so their presence, especially indoors, is not surprising. My sunroom
> porch has many of them on the inside of the glass and looking for a
> whey out. err...weigh out. Oh darn, what's the write word hear....
>
U R 2 funnee Al,

Speaking of exits etc., have you heard about how coffee beans are cleaned/hulled
in some parts of the world. Something to do with Iguanas & I stopped reading
because I love coffee more than anything else in this world!!! *g*
Keep up with the good answers,
Cheers Wendy