Sounds like the green/potato leafhopper or beet leafhopper (forgot the proper name.) They are kinda wedge-shaped, like a grasshopper but only about a 16th of an inch or less wide and maybe 1/4" long? Do a google search on leafhopper to see if it's it. Hope this helps. Mark

Your University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service no longer provides soil testing, although they do have a list of labs that will. Get a good soil test done. That "soil specialist" at that nursery is suspect because of his statement that the fertilizer you were using was not working properly and he had another one that would, without looking at the plants or doing a soil test. You need a good reliable soil test to determine what, if anything, needs to be done. These simple soil tests may also help. 1) Soil test for organic matter. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drainsâ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Here is a link that might be useful: UI CES

Thanks Oilpainter ! =:) I'm so thrilled to find out my lacewings are good for the health of my garden. As I said, I have tons of them. Now I need to educate myself about the eggs and larvae so I don't try to get rid of them.

Spider mites infest outdoor plants as well as indoor. But the description of your one critter doesn't match mites. Doubt if the "gnats" are making the holes. Look for caterpillars, or if they're in your region slugs and/or snails.