Was your plant in direct sun outside?

Your plant's leaves don't look good, but the roots look ok. I'm not sure about the bugs as they are hard to see in the photos. I think I know what you are referring to, because I have seen similar bugs of that description before but they have never caused that kind of problems in the leaves. I *think* that the bugs were likely there already and you are just noticing them now - unrelated to the leaf issue. But again, I'm not 100% sure. Hopefully a poster with more expertise will come along with a better diagnosis.

suza, it was in fact in direct sunlight outside. I left it out for about 4 days ( was ill for 2 days so by the time I got back in the office - this is what i notices). We did have some rain during that time, but that was earlier in the 4 day period. Maybe I scorched the leaves? I am horrible with plants, but genuinely WANT to be better at taking care of them because i enjoy having living plants around, but i am definitely in need of some help! I also added another photo (top) with hopefully a better pitcture of the insects. maybe that will help...

Whitney Spears, Yep, suspect your little plant has a pretty severe case of sunburn. See those papery looking areas in the center of the leaves surrounded by darker green around the border? The silvery areas are burned, and will probably become sunken and turn leathery and black...the spots are probably already beginning that process. Watch the spots for a fungal outbreak, and if one occurs, cut the bad area out with a sterile razor blade and apply fungicide. Let the sunburn areas finish drying up and turning black before you cut them off. Don't cut any more than necessary, but for appearance sake more than anything, you can cut them back to good green tissue, put a fungicide on the cuts, and treat the plant as normal. The plant will eventually grow new leaves, and when you have several new leaves you can remove the old cut leaves if you desire.

The roots look good, so I suspect you will have no problem saving the plant. Don't repot it while it is distressed, so be careful about watering until its back on its feet......

The little bugs.....I say no problem, but my wife has a decidedly different opinion!!!!! If yours are like mine, they come in on the plants in the fall, and reside throughout the winter, and go back out in the spring with the plants. They are like little gnats....they hatch in the potting media, and fly.....all over the house they appear.....Wife thinks company won't understand......I say most company doesn't understand a plant freak (me) anyway, so don't worry about it.....

Anyway, I keep a can of cheap bug spray near the plants, and when the little critters get particularly bad, I point a spray of insecticide at the potting media.

Hope that helps some.

Bill

I agree with Bill. Leaves look sunburned. Your orchid needs zero direct light. Bright room, yes, but no direct light. I think I see that it is potted in moss? If you choose to keep it in that, please only water sparingly - like a couple tablespoons once a week and drench it once a month. Typically moss rots the inner roots of a Phal because most people water too much. A better medium for a once or twice a week is fir bark - found in most plant nurseries or home improvement stores.

Whitney, I simply agree with all that has been said above, but have something to add if you are still having trouble with bugs on your Phal. You can put some rubbing alcohol in a clean spray bottle and use it to mist the leaves (not the flowers if in bloom). The alcohol kills most if not all bugs on contact and evaporates quickly leaving no harsh chemical residue. Five years ago this trick saved one of my Phals from a critter infestation from hell in one application.