Mechanical damage. Yup - probably a baby aphid. Keep an eye on it, soap should take care of them, just do not dilute it too much. Aphids have the breathing openings on their butt - and soap glues them up. Off goes the aphid. I do not think diluted soap will do the job. i.

I do not have any suggestions about the marks on your plants, if you don't mind - here is what I think may not be needed for succulent bed: Peat moss actually helps water retention, so adding lots of it into succulent bed may not be a plus. If you think of where the succulents grow in wild - it is mainly rocky, gravely sites. Not rich soil, with manure and mulch, or Cacti&Succulent soil. I am not suggesting your plants will die (I have grown succulents in garden soil and had some much around them too - just because I planted them in beds where many other plants were), just that enriching the soil for succulents is not necessary. Most will grow better in 'poor' soils. I have number of stonecrops - will check them tomorrow to see if they have similar damage.

That's what it looks like on many roses in my garden (including my young-ish Souvenir de la Malmaison) this time of year. In my soil, it's a bit of salt buildup, inherent in the soil, plus the recent extreme heat. The older roses, those in the best spots, and the more resilient types handle these conditions better and don't show as much of that kind of damage, but others look less than optimum. It's transitory and happens year after year in this garden -- everybody survives and has improved looks in fall. In fact, some of the less attractive plants are already putting on nicer growth, after the past cooler week or two.

It's a saprophytic mold/fungus - not necessarily harmful. They're there only because they find conditions favorable. Plants live side by side with thousands of different fungi, some very beneficial, and a few can be harmful. It doesn't say you're over-watering; neither does it say you're not. Al