I discovered this very disturbing-looking line of scales (scale insects?) on a little corn plant that I have in a window. Does anyone know what these things are, and if I should throw away the whole plant or can I just cut off this leaf?

Annoyingly, this plant has been living next to a Monstera that has been battling thrips, but this looks very different from both those bugs and eggs.

by _margaret_

20 Comments

  1. CinderCinnamon

    Yes but with their ability to queue so nicely it feels impolite to remove them

  2. stebesse6_1972

    Those appear to be some type of Katydid eggs.

  3. u53rn4m34m3

    I don’t know what it is, but I’ll echo everyone and say these are very polite katydid eggs. Keep them, for science.

    Edit – I’m joking about the last part btw. You don’t want locusts to decimate your collection

  4. Mulberry1790

    Isn’t Nature amazing?!? I saw this once while working in landscape maintenance. Investigated and yes! Katydid eggs! Neatly hidden on the underside of a leaf, lined up like sequins!

  5. problematic-hamster

    wow, this made my skin absolutely crawl.

  6. SparklingNebula1111

    It’s such a shame that it’s a pest. 

    Because, wow, it created its own art!  Magnificent, really!  And fascinating!

  7. _margaret_

    Thank you all! As disturbing/fascinating as those eggs are, I cut off that leaf and put it outside – the katydids can hatch and live out their lives outdoors. I’m just relieved it’s not scale insects.

    I have no idea how a katydid could have gotten inside (or where it went 😬) – we live in an apartment in an urban area, so I assume it hitched a ride indoors on something. Hopefully, it found its way back outside.

  8. jakebs2002

    A trypophobia I was unaware of until this post. *My stomach hurts.*

  9. Traditional-Media-41

    These are most definitely Katie’s eggs! Down to the color and line of eggs and color! Usually, mom would be near the eggs, so she may be dead somewhere…. pretty neat, but yeah, where did she come from, Wild!

  10. Geeahwellidunno

    Well now that I know these are katydids I feel much less repulsed. Cuz that made my arms ache.

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