I found several of these living in my indoor mint plant today. They were burrowing into the soil so I ended up placing the mint pot outdoors. What is it? I noticed that something was eating my mint, leaving black spots (frass) and white eaten spots on the underside of the mint leaves. I sprayed homemade insecticidal soap on the mint, placed yellow sticky pads by the mint, and put aluminum foil on top of the soil as a deterrent to the unidentified pest. When I removed the aluminum foil after a few days, I found this insect. Fyi, I live on an upper floor of a building so I'm puzzled if this came with the mint and hatched or somehow originated from within my apartment and found a home in the mint.

Thanks.

Urgh, I think I may have identified this. It's either a flying ant or a termite. My building has ants so I'm thinking it's more likely an ant but I could be wrong. I'm also guessing that it's not the pest eating my mint, though again I might be wrong.

I just heard back from an entomologist who confirmed it was a winged carpenter ant. I found several burrowing into the soil. I was so freaked out that I ended up tossing the plant after making cuttings. I also had an unresolved pest issue which was another factor in my decision. I'll be transplanting the rooted cuttings in a week or so. Hopefully, this will end my unlucky streak.

On second thought, even though I posted in the herb forum and the infected plant is no more so to speak, I'll post the pictures of the eaten leaves. Perhaps the ppl here might know. In the herb forum, leaf miners and thrips were suggested. I spoke to a farmer at my local farmers' market who thought it was aphids and fungus. I showed him a few leaves that I had picked two days earlier.

Honestly, I still have no idea, even though I looked for the pest. I do know that I had whiteflies which I managed to handle on my own.

Hopefully, the cuttings won't develop the same issues.

Something chewed on it.

Which pest? Because of the assortment of answers I received, I have no idea. I have other indoor plants which I isolated from the affected mint - I live in an apartment. So far I haven't noticed the same issue with those plants. At some point I would like to move the other plants to where the mint is. It's the window with the best light and location.

Definitely leaf miners, but I can't swear to what else might be present.

Ha! So true. I hope it's only leaf miners - I did try looking for the leaf miners within the eaten leaves to no avail. I found something that looked like thrips, but I'm not sure as it disappeared before I could take a picture or capture it. Currently, the plant has been reduced to several cuttings. I hope this will take care of the leaf miners, thrips or whatever was chomping on the mint leaves.

Any chance that the leaf miner might migrate to my lemon and lime seedlings? Or my peppermint?