pests Pest Identification PLEASE

[Kennylay]

As you can see in the photos the damage is extremely uniform, and i know somebody out there could tell me instantly what is causing this, but ive searched and searched and cant find anything that creates this sharp, c or j shape.  I asked in my glog and didnt get much response so i figured id post here as well.

Some things i should share:

Ive never seen the pest, plants have thoroughly checked daily for months, and i have yet to see whats causing this.

Damage seems to be from a species that doesnt "group up", no plant has more than one or two identical "cuts".

Damage happens daily, plants i put out last night had damage this afternoon. (picture will be listed below)
 
Also only my smallest plants seem to be affected, the larger plants no longer get damage.

Some of this damage is brand new and some is "grown in" causing it to look worse than it was when it happened here are some photos.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

As you can see the damage is almost signature level uniformity, and has to be a known marker for the species, hopefully someone knows what this is instantly.

 

[Sawyer]

Is this happening to multiple pepper varieties or just one?

 

[Sawyer]

I ask because it almost seems like some sort of structural damage rather than insect damage. As in the plant grows so fast the leaf tissue tears, then the tear propagates as the leaf grows larger. Just spitballing here. I've never seen insect damage like that.

 

[CaneDog]

My take is the same as Sawyer's; looks like normal elements damage.  Exposure to wind, rain, hail, etc. causes little tears that grow over time. Leaves are generally thinner and weaker when they first go out to harden off so very susceptible. 
 
Leaves are looking great by the way!  What's in your pic 3 showing pigmentation?

 

[Kennylay]

Great info, and something I didn't think of.

Yes the damage is affecting both annuums and Chinense, though my oldest plants don't show new damage. Which would make sense with growth damage as they are nowhere near the growth rate of my smaller plants.

What doesn't fit is the 3rd pic canedog referenced (Nagabrains yellow from whp), which has been outside for months, damage free, only to get the same mark less than 24hrs after being moved beside the plants with marks.

I could see rain, or wind cracking a larger leaf more easily than a small one. 90 degree days are here so heat wilted frail leaves tearing could be a possibility also, but I just can't shake the feeling that something is out there eating them now

Thanks for this guys!!!

 

[Sawyer]

What doesn't fit is the 3rd pic canedog referenced (Nagabrains yellow from whp), which has been outside for months, damage free, only to get the same mark less than 24hrs after being moved beside the plants with marks.

Yeah, that's pretty suspicious. Have you gone out at night with a flashlight to see what you can find?

 

[Kennylay]

Yeah, that's pretty suspicious. Have you gone out at night with a flashlight to see what you can find?

 
checked last night, didnt find anything, i keep finding cicada exoskeletons on my bags but they are subterranean eaters.  Im still leaning towards a hopper or cricket eating my plants and will do some more research on them.

If anyone has any info to add it would be great!

 

[Sawyer]

This seems unlikely, but I'll just throw it out there. Maybe a cicada crawls on the leaf creating a tear that then becomes what you see as the leaf grows.

 

[CaneDog]

This seems unlikely, but I'll just throw it out there. Maybe a cicada crawls on the leaf creating a tear that then becomes what you see as the leaf grows.

 
It wouldn't surprise me if insects were causing some of the damage and elements other damage, but everything I see in the pics looks like fairly typical "outdoors" damage that seems to happen from time to time but not be the result of an active infestation/feeding or anything else that requires taking action.  Of course, growing in Florida you don't want to be too slow in reacting to bugs!
 
I am curious what specifically causes some of the tears though as they don't all look like mere "accidental" wind-type damage.

 

[luvmesump3pp3rz]

i had leaf damage from some critter last year but never found out what it was. the damage was only on 2 or 3 of the 10 plants i had and the damage stopped as quickly as it started. your damage looks more like environmental instead of pests. JMO and i could be wrong on this. here is a pic of what i had going on last year.
 

 

[CaneDog]

That looks like slug/snail/caterpillar type damage to me p3pp3rz.

 

[Orekoc]

I was just told by a dahlia grower that earwigs are really bad this year in the Willamette Valley.  Their damage can look like slugs/snails too, so if the slug bait doesn't work, look for earwigs.

 

[floricole]

I don't know if you have the "otiorhynchus" where you live, but the damage are similar.

 

[solid7]

That's wind damage, nothing more.  It will stop when the wind dies down some, or when the plant starts getting its "outside" leaves.