Gross Mobile Eggs in my open terrarium!

I have an open terrarium that has been doing really well for over a year now, but all of a sudden recently I started seeing no-see-ums flitting all around. I thought it was annoying, but wasn't terribly worried. Then, just this past month, I noticed my Polka Dot Plant - originally the king of the terrarium (to the point that I had to trim it back) - starting to wither and wilt. Yesterday I pulled out the dead branches and that's when I noticed a bunch of white egg-like things everywhere- it's as if they were shaken loose once I disturbed the foliage. I don't think they are no-see-um eggs, though, because some of them are in different spots than they were yesterday- as if they moved. Perhaps some sort of larvae? Ick. Gross. I don't know. But they are not fuzzy, so they're not dust mites or spider mites, and if they are moving, it's very slowly.

More interesting is that the only plants they seem to be effecting are the Polka Dot Plants. The succulents (including Jade) and the air plants I have in the terrarium don't seem to be having any trouble at all.

Thanks for any help. This ALWAYS happens to me. I can never keep an inside plant for too long- eventually they always get some sort of pest. Horrible.

http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/aquatic/biting_midges.htm

Good idea to control them. Then place a very fine mesh over the top of the terrarium to prevent pests from getting in.

Thanks for the research and information. Unfortunately I don't think that's what I have in my terrarium.....The white egg-like things are what concerns me.....Maybe they ARE eggs after all, but what sort of eggs and how do I get rid of them? SO gross.

would be nice to see a picture. Could even be something fungal...which could explain why the plant died. Or could be some other insect... or even housefly eggs? I would just take a spoon or something and scoop them out.

I'm starting to think they're Fungus Gnats and Fungus Gnat Eggs....Gross.

Ok, HUGE UPDATE:
The white things are NOT eggs. I just got home and knocked some off with a Q-Tip and there were definitely legs wiggling around. So the white things are little tiny white mounds that are NOT fuzzy, but they have legs underneath. This is SO gross. WHAT CAN THEY BE????

could it be housefly maggots?

like these?

Definitely not. I know what maggots look like. These things are not worm-like at all. I actually think they're mealybugs, but without the powdery covering they usually have.

If the infestation isn't too bad, you could clean them off with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol. It penetrates the protective waxy coating on soft scale/mealy bugs.

But what about the soil? I feel like they're in the soil- there are so many of them....

Does it look like this? see attached pic

You could remove all the soil and put in new soil. Even doing this the pest can return and/or be on the roots of your plants.

there is a biologicol control...it is a beetle that feeds on all stages of mealybugs called crypts. http://www.buglogical.com/mealybug-destroyer-cryptolaemus/

Chemical controls would require a systemic type insecticide such as thiacloprid, sold as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Ready-to-Use or Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Concentrate 2,or acetamiprid (Scotts Bug Clear Ultra concentrate or Bug Clear Ultra Gun) and/or thiamethoxam (Westland Plant Rescue Bug Killer Ormanental Plants). I would recommend a drench treatment.

It doesn't look fuzzy like that- that's what I mean, it's clearly a mealybug, but without the powdery covering.