Are these primary or secondary verbena pests?

Question

I posted before about the powdery mildew affecting my verbena plants. I have now observed that some leaves have died, and small (1 mm or less) insects are present. They're mobile so not eggs, white and not obviously winged so they may be a larval stage. I'm looking for identification, and whether they are just feeding off dying leaves (in which case why are they still amongst the dead leaves), or caused the leaves to die. I am not seeing them on the healthy leaves. The plants seem otherwise okay, and starting to flower.

Flowering

Dead leaves Dying leaves

Bugs Dead leaf with insects

More bugs more bugs on dead leaves

How old are these plants? By the seeded buds they look quite old. These are annuals as you know and when an annual is allowed to produce any seed the annual can then die. They've done their one and only job, to produce seed for the following year. To make your annuals last longer DEADHEAD ruthlessly!! This will make your annuals vigorous, huge and you won't be able to keep up with the dead heading. Once annuals produce seed they just curl up and die. If one dead heads RUTHLESSLY they will keep trying to make babies, get bigger and produce so many flowers you'll be blown away. — stormy, Apr 15 '16 at 21:00
Mid-Spring in New Zealand is November. Wow. I have to work to imagine, grins! But to have those kind of buds/seeds is cool if you are making seed. Otherwise, they are still annuals and I wouldn't allow an annual to make seed at all until close to season ending. Ummmm, what is your winter like? CUT THOSE flowers off as soon as you can stomach it. I was hired to 'color' and landscape the entrances to developments. Once a week I'd go and cut off all the flowers. Passerbys would be horrified. I told them to come back in a week. They were blown away by the color and vigor. — stormy, Apr 15 '16 at 21:31
But if propagation is by seed, then I won't get more next year if I deadhead them? — Graham Chiu, Apr 15 '16 at 21:40
That would be correct Graham. The problem is when you allow your annuals to be pollinated by who knows what you'll find your plants are less than vigorous and the flowers could be any color. Annuals should be refreshed annually, grins. Making seed is a huge professional endeavor to make sure the pollen is the right one to be pollinating the plants to get the correct seed. Big bummer, I know. I'd buy the best seed I could get definitely NON GMO. Costs more but worth the bucks. This looks to me as secondary attack of insects. Once annuals go to seed they die and allow themselves to be — stormy, Apr 17 '16 at 00:02
...eaten and decomposed by insects. I am pretty sure insects are not your problem. Vigorous plants can resist insects and disease very well. Once they go to seed their JOB in this life is done. Annuals only care about producing seed. You can prolong this until frost by dead heading. Growing fresh each year is worth the effort. No other type of plant is so prolific and consistent producing lots of flowers than annuals. If flowers is all one wants. Perennials (to include shrubs) will give you flowers and leaves and structure for years and years without replanting. — stormy, Apr 17 '16 at 00:07
Those little white guys are NOT thrips. Some little fly larva, NOT your problem. I'd like to see a plant bed without so much vegetation, non decomposed material for thriving annuals. — stormy, Apr 17 '16 at 00:10
Hi Graham Chiu! By any chance can you answer this? Did you figure it out, and how to handle it? It's a good question and it's in the unanswered queue, so if you want to add an answer that would be great. If not, no problem! Thanks! — Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL, Aug 30 '18 at 03:14

Are these primary or secondary verbena pests?

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