Wernerherzog - I can't tell from the pictures, but the insects you describe could be leafhoppers. Leafhoppers are similar to aphids, since they suck plant sap, but they are extremely mobile, and cannot be controlled by regular insecticides. Luckily they are nothing to worry about, as they only leave a few yellow spots on your leaves. The only other possibility would be spider mites, but those would be visible on the underside of the leaf. Spider mites look like extremely small spiders (~1mm), and live in large colonies. If you have a spider mite infestation, you will see webbing around the colony. If you do not see webbing with many small mites, then you problem is leafhoppers.
For the second pictures, is there any possibility of physical damage? Wind? Lawnmower/weedeater? Racoons/Deer/Other? It doesn't look insect or disease related.