We keep finding these tiny black dots on our plants and I need to figure out what it is. Typically the top of the leaf is stippled and discolored, similar to a spider mite infestation. The underside of the leaf has these tiny, black, shiny spheres. I have looked at it under the disecting scope and I have seen tiny clear worms/larvae crawling around. My theories are: the tiny worms cause the damage and the black stuff is poop or the black stuff is a fungal body and the worms are just eating it. The only flying pests in the house are an occasional fungus gnat or whitefly, there don't seem to be any particular flying insects associated with the plants infested with the black stuff.
So far it has affected two kinds of Schefflera (photo is S. elegantissima), spider plant (variegated only, not the all green ones), pothos, pepperomia, and swedish ivy.
Has anyone seen this before?
