it's a different kind of scale: black scale. they are tiny and look like blk spots. they are called fly-speck scale.

Hmm it seems like you are probably right.

I was starting to consider that perhaps they were "Diamond scales" which are actually fungus, however most of them seemed to be everywhere while mine are mostly located on the stems on the side facing down.

I am currently brushing them out with soapy water... I feel like finishing the job will take a long time eh. I just hope that once they have all been removed, that I wont see them anymore.

Anyways, thanks a lots for the clarification! :)

Fly speck scale insects feed exclusively on Bromeliads. They won't be found on palms.

Yours do look much more like a fungus, I guess, but not diamond scale....that's a disease of palms but very unlikely found on Areca.

How long have you had this plant? Is it worthwhile to consider that it's been infested/infected at the growers (and imported from a tropical location)?

Yes, it has been imported from a tropical location and these spots were already present when purchased.

Some additional information :
- I tried to use hydrogen peroxide on a tiny area to see if it would bubble and it didn't.
- When scrubbed off, it look like it transformed into dust.

Is it possible that it is simply some kind of dirt which stuck to the stems? As far as I know, any fungus would have created a reaction on contact with the peroxide.

Some of the leaves that has an heavy amount of them does not seem unhealthy so far.

Well I'm not sure anymore what it is :S

This post was edited by ShaZe on Wed, Apr 30, 14 at 10:02

that's how i found out about them - 'cause i suspected spots on my brom, but thankfully i was mistaken!
however, i thought they can effect other plants too, especially in tropics.
so rhizo made me google..
the following article is about flyspeck fungus - has good pics.
you might just have to remove specks with a brush, perhaps?
may be you should ask in palm forum or in florida - they'll have more experience with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: fly-speck fungus

This post was edited by petrushka on Wed, Apr 30, 14 at 11:31

This isn't going to be terribly helpful, but I have never seen an Areca without these. My experience interacting with them has been similar to yours: some brush off and some don't, little to no reaction with HP (though I felt like HP on a paper towel was more effective than a wet paper towel alone, still some DO NOT COME OFF EVER--let me know if you experienced the same or if you were able to tidy up a brand pretty well.), etc.

That said, I lost two Areca palms. In fact they are the only plants I have killed past revival (and I have much harder plants in my apartment). I don't THINK these spots killed them, but I really don't know. I did so many "wrong" things to my first two, that It's hard to tell. If this one dies, I will def think the spots are the culprit because I have done my homework and created optimal conditions.

Anyway, let us know if you learned anything. As @stewartsjohn said, this may just be a normal part of an areca.

Well, actually, scratch that. I clicked on a related post on the right and it mentioned fly spec scale and to try neem oil. I used my usual homemade neem, castille, dab of insecticidal soap, and distilled water combo and cleaned off each branch. I would estimate it removed 80% of the specs on the stems and the few specs found on leaves (underside) came right off. Will recheck in a few days and reapply to remaining "specs" if still there.

I know this is an old post but replying in case anyone comes across it as I have.

What is the status now? I just bought a plant my self with pretty much the same symptoms, so im really curious to know, what you´ve learned :)

These are the natural marking on the stems of this palm. Dypsis lutescens.

I can’t believe someone revived this dumb thread.

Do you have a reference? While the markings may be ubiquitous to this plant, they are not a part if the plant (in ither words, the plant’s DNA does not code for or produce them). Many fungal and bacterial infections can live (and in fact, do in most plants and animals) for the entirety of a healthy plant’s life and yet are still not beneficial microbes. It is just that a healthy plant’s immune system can keep the infection from seriously damaging the plant so it continues to grow. However if this is the case, there is still some amount of risk letting it go uncontrolled. For example, if the plant becomes stressed and has to devote those resources elsewhere. Or if a more dangerous microbial infection occurs, it can potentialy feed off of the cells of the existing onfection and grow that much faster.

Open to any evidence that you have that states arcela palm (dypsis lutescens) stems should be black spotted, but otherwise, i have read that it is a fungal or bacterial infecfion. I will post a link when i am at my computer (responding from my phone currently)

Jay, you are talking through your hat.

I have grown this palm for more than 40 years; I have seen it in 20 countries, and grown it from seed to adult.

They have spots; they decrease with time and the stems become more uniformly golden.

Here, why don’t you google Dypsis lutescens stems?

https://www.google.com/search?q=Dypsis+lutescens+stems&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&ei=rwIPYZCxJMvS-wTar5uoCg&oq=Dypsis+lutescens+stems&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzoCCCk6BQgpEIAEOggIKRCABBCxAzoICAAQsQMQgwE6CAgAEIAEELEDOgUIABCABDoLCAAQgAQQsQMQgwE6BQgAELEDOgQIABAeOgQIABAYOgUIABDNAlDSAVixbmCleWgAcAB4AIABiwKIAYcekgEGMC4xNi42mAEAoAEBsAEF&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img