Did you try Doctor Optimara? I know you have to try a few things but maybe you could narrow it down. There are quite a few good photos of broad mites on the internet (I know because I pored over them at one point and stared at fuzzy leaves until I said "enough!").

I have no idea, but check out scale. I think you'd see aphids. Let's hope someone with more knowledge in this area comes along.

Diana

I have been studying the leaves. The faint brown bruising seems to follow veins. There are what appear to be strings of pearls along the midrib of one leaf. These critters do move, slowly, slowly. To me they look like tiicks in a way but they are too small to get much detail
The hot water, 110 degrees for 15 minutes did not harm the plant. The hot water treated plant seemed to be growing again so hot water may have knocked down the population but the bugs are back.
Could these be ordinary spider mites? I have never seen spider mites so I don't know.
I thought broad and cyclamen mites were lighter in color. These critters are very dark brown or black.
I hope someone has a good guess and a possible solution.

This post was edited by lucky123 on Sun, Apr 6, 14 at 13:14

it might be some kind of bug in your local area. Perhaps a local agricultural extension society might be able to help. Some others on the forum with more experience might have more immediate ideas as to what it is and what to do.
A manager in a garden store told me that AVs are attractive to many pests.
Joanne

This post was edited by fortyseven on Thu, May 1, 14 at 1:34

Joanne
I have never had bugs. I tried a spray I bought but it didn't work. If I can't identify the bug, I don't know which product to buy. But it doesn't matter what the bug is if there isn't anything to control it that I can obtain or afford or want to have on the property.
My dad gave me an idea for a broad spectrum herbal extract (everything except maybe aphids). I am going to try that with some modifications. So if this doesn't work at least I am going to have some fun out of it rather than just be out of pocket for commercial brew.
Meanwhile if anyone can say what the beast might be, I would appreciate it, Who knows, maybe there is a commercial remedy available for that specific beast.

Lucky,

Can you post a picture? I am wondering if your violet is just now showing the effects of the hot water treatment.

Linda

Linda
This AV was soaked in water, 110 F for 15 minutes 6 weeks ago. You can see where I cut a the corky leaf to examine it with the loupe. That is when I saw the brown, bruised looking patches on the leaves and the small black dots. The plant does have potting soil specks left from the dip. The fine soil floats and coats BUT Two people checked the tiny black bug specks with the loupe. The bug specks are fairly uniform in size, color and shape. Looks like lice or ticks.

This post was edited by lucky123 on Wed, Apr 9, 14 at 20:25

Aphids you would see easily. There is no twisting of foliage characteristic of cyclamen or broad mite damage.

Spider mites are different from either broad or cyclamen. I found this on another post, see if it fits: the symptoms: Undersides of leaves of AVs become speckled with pale yellow, brown or bronze colored dots and become dusty in appearance. Heavy infestations show evidence of fine webs. Leaves turn yellow and eventually the entire plant will die. Does this fit?

Spider mites feed by piercing plant parts which could result in a collapsed, brown-colored area.

And, as Joanne says, it may a local bug.

Also, when spraying for bugs, ID first and then spray.

Linda

No Webs
That is what is puzzling.
See those Swollen, humped up veins? Under a loupe, those swollen veins are pale brown rather than bright green.
The first damage to leaves is swelling and browning along main veins. There are strings of what look like pearls along the veins. The brown areas spread out on the tips, making the corky, burnt edges to the leaves. There are smaller bug versions that scurry along the stems. The bigger bugs wiggle in the brown areas, like ticks.
I think it is Mites. There are flat mites that don't make webs. I made a homemade miticide. I am spraying every few days. Even if these plants don't make it, I may make something I can afford, obtain and that works for an future infestation. The hot water knocked the bugs down enough that I have time to play before the plants croak. I may have to contact the Master Gardener for positive ID.

This post was edited by lucky123 on Thu, Apr 10, 14 at 15:50

Lucky, Not sure what you mean by swollen veins. By any chance, are you referring to the quilting of the leaves? Some leaves look puffy, that is what they are supposed to do. I don't see any bugs, I just see little specks of dust or potting soil. It could be bugs are there, just too tiny to see on my monitor. If you do have someone in your area who understands AVs, that might help. The plant in the photo above looks healthy on my monitor, nice, bright green, well shaped plant and leaves.
Joanne

Joanne
I destroyed all of my damaged violets. I kept this one because it wasn't showing any twisted, yellow/grey center and distorted leaves.
I treated this AV with water as a precaution because it was in close contact with the others.
After I water treated this AV, I got a loupe. There were bugs (now deceased), specific, independently verifiable bugs. Just need a loupe to see them.
The plant looks healthy after the water treatment. It would work for cyclamen and broad mites. Hot water does not work for spider or flat mites. Some mites like it hot :)

This post was edited by lucky123 on Fri, Apr 11, 14 at 15:51