What are these tiny silver bugs in my house plant's soil?

Question

I took care of a spider mite infestation a couple of months ago with commercial insecticide. Now there are lots of tiny silver or gray colored bugs/insects in my philodendron's soil. Please tell me what they are and if I should do something about it. Thanks.

Answer 1

Nope! Not springtails! Nor are they larval fungus gnats! I have these little buggers on my jade bonsai AND an orchid and I'm going back to everywhere I went in my research and answering their same question. These guys are totally Thrips! Specifically, Thrips Palmi or "Melon Thrips."
Thrips are less than 1mm and they have a silver, white, or yellow almond shaped body. They move around the top layer of soil very quickly by scuttling.
The thrips themselves do minimal damage even in large numbers but can stunt or warp growth by feeding on terminal shoots, the undersides of leaves, and buddling flowers or fruits. The thrips carries Watermelon silver mottle virus that makes your leaves turn silver and shrivel up, as well as Ground nut bud necrosis.
This kind of thrips (yea, thrips is pl. and sing.) generally hosts on tropical plants like jade, orchids, citron etc.

Here is an article on them:
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/parrella/rose%20pma%20thrips.html
Hope this helps!