What are these seeds/eggs that appear on my indoor plant leaves?

Question

I keep finding these tiny brown ridged "seeds" that appear on the leaves of my indoor plants. Since seeds don't normally fly, I am guessing they might actually be related to an insect. But the only insects I am aware of having in my living room are fungus gnats, lady bugs, and probably aphids, and these don't look like the eggs or pupae of any of those.

The nearby plants are: old basil, young batavia lettuce, young lambs lettuce, wood sorrel, a young avocado tree, and a baby philodendron erubescens. But I don't see how any of these could be producing these "seeds".

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Finally found the answer: they are wood sorrel seeds! http://extension.msstate.edu/newsletters/bug%E2%80%99s-eye-view/2019/yellow-wood-sorrel-seed-vol-5-no-30

Answer 2

Your plant has aphids. These pear shaped insects are so common, they are also known as 'plant lice'. They come in all different colors from black to pink.

The best way to get rid of them is with soap spray. You can make a good homemade soap spray by mixing several drops of Dawn dish liquid (you can use a different kind of dish soap but Dawn is the best) with distilled water in a spray bottle. Spray the entire plant very thoroughly. Make sure to get all stems and both the upper side and under side of the fronds. Repeat spraying the plant with the soapy water every 3-4 days until there are no more sign of insects. This usually takes about 2 weeks.