A sure sign of damage by virus???

[OhLaLa Orchids]

I'm getting ready to send a dozen or so leaf specimens off to Critter Creek Labs to test for Cymbidium Mosaic Virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum Ringsort Virus (ORSV). I've taken a variety of pictures of damaged leaves and thought that some members might be able to say for near certain that one or another is a viral infection. I could then turn my attention to plants with less obvious symptoms. Also, I plan to give an update once the results are in so that others can look at varified signs of infection much like a couple other members have done in the past.

Here's a URL where you can see 40+ shots of various unidentified icky leaf problems.
http://homepage.mac.com/jrpsto/Publi...toAlbum35.html

Cynthia, thank you for what you've posted on these matters and I hope to hear more details about your microscopic investigations in the future.

Onc. Splendidum/L. purpurata/L. anceps/Cymbidium/Oncidinae intergeneric

[Ellen]

The last two pics look like they could be a bad case of spider mites. I've had plants with symptoms sort of like the first ones tested for virus and they came back negative. On the other hand a plant with few or no obvious symptoms could be virus positive. Testing doesn't cost much, so why not go ahead and do it and know for sure.

[Anton]

Josh, the first one looks like a problem I had with a Phal.

Even though it was a house bound palnt I had some tiny snails and caterpillars nibbling on the leaves at night after coming out of the compost, and left similar indentaions on the surface of the leaves. They only nibbled have way through the thickness of the leaf.

See my posting under the heading "Cynthia's Timely Pest Post." I have a picture of it there. As mine was quite fresh, the marks on the leaf are yellowish, but have now turned brownish.

I could be wrong, but generally a virus will not leave indentations like those in the first image.

[jerrymeola]

I also think that you are looking at insect damage.

I do not know any commercial growers that consider virus to be a problem. Crops that are infected are not often but destroed quickly.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

None of the damage I see looks anything like classic virus marks with the exception of the long straight black lines at the bottom of the first picture. However, since there are so many spots on that leaf that look like other problems, it is probably just coincidence that some have lined up to give you straight lines along veins.