Cuban laurel thrips. They're specific to only certain Ficus species. They don't kill the plant. But, because they attack only the new leaves, they make the tree look nasty from time to time. Some folks cope by lightly shearing the plant when the damage occurs, then discarding the clippings. Here's info from U of FL http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/thrips/cuban_laurel_thrips.htm Here is a link that might be useful: Cuban laurel thrips

It looks like all the overwatered FLFs I've read about on the houseplants forum, and all of them have turned out to be caused by overwatering. 'Overwatering' happens when the soil stays saturated for long periods of time, preventing air from prejudicing oxygen to the roots, leading to dead and rotting roots and a plant that starts to kill and drop leaves its reduced root system can no longer support. You might want to scan the first page or two on that forum for FLF threads, but meanwhile I'll ask a few questions: Does the pot have a drain hole? How do your water--on a schedule, when the top of the soil is dry, or when the soil at the bottom of the pot is dry? Do you give it a fixed volume of water, or water until it drains freely from the pot? Does the pot ever sit in standing water? What kind of soil are you using? Have you potted up (put the plant in a bigger pot with new soil around the existing rootball) or repotted it (removed all old soil from the roots, pruned errant roots, and replaced the soil with all new mix)?

Those are prilled fertilizer capsules = slow or controlled release fertilizer. Not a concern at all and found in most nursery or greenhouse plant soil:-)) And if you have more questions about your houseplant, try posting in the Houseplants forum........this one is really focused on edible figs!

I know you've been around the forums for a while, so I'm wondering if you've been monitoring soil moisture levels with a 'tell'? A tell is much more effective than a "moisture meter" or a digital device (a finger). The symptoms do look like there are issues in play which are related to an overly water-retentive soil and or a high level of salts in the soil. Please tell us how you decide when it's time to water, how you fertilize, what you use, and how often you apply the fertilizer. Does your pot have a drain hole? Do you have a set-up so that once water exits the drain hole, there is no possibility of the effluent finding a pathway back into the soil. What kind of temps, light levels, humidity, is the plant dealing with? Water uptake is an energy-driven process, and it takes oxygen in the root zone to burn the food to make the energy. An inadequate oxygen supply = limited root function = an inability to move water to the plants most distal parts (leaf tips/margins) = the manifestation of the symptoms depicted in your images. So, let's wait to see what you have to say, then see if we can determine what needs fixing, then develop a plan to get it fixed. Al