Need an ID on this pest

[b.t.]

I found these all over my sundews. They arent mealy bugs I believe but I'm not sure what they are. They don't fit the description of thrips which I have on some plants right now.

Is this harmful?

 

[Drosera36]

They look a lot like aphids.

-Ben

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

Ben's right. Them there is aphids. They suck the juices out of the leaves causing them to deform. They can eventually cause enough damage to weaken the plant or kill it.

 

[b.t.]

What a horrible pest to have to deal with especially when I'm still trying to contend with the thrips. I sunk everything into a tank of water, and started rubbing off the aphids one by one. Then I left it to soak for an hour, Threw away all the old media, prepared new media, and re planted everything. I hope it's okay but I don't know if the aphids will come back a week from now. I pray they want. The plants look like drowned rats right now as Jim once said.

 

[jimscott]

I'd leave the plants fully immersed for a couple days.

 

[b.t.]

Jim I dont know if a falconeri can last a few days underwater. I was thinking about that but a few days may work for tougher dews like spathulata or adelae but a falconeri? I'm not confident...

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Uh, check out the Darwin region of Australia for weather, especially rainfall. I'm just guessing, but I would think they spend an awful lot of time under water during their tropical rains.

Almost 68 inches annually, with almost 10 inches in December, 17 inches in January, and 14 inches in February; and it rains 111 days out of 365, most of the rain is in their Spring through Summer. With that much rain, my guess is they spend an awful lot of time "underwater" - when they are in their active growth period.

 

[Pyro]

Lowrie notes in his papers about falconeri that it often grows submerged for prolonged periods. I think a few days should do no harm