Leaf damage Hydrangea

[WimB]

Anyone knows what the culprit might be of the damage on these Hydrangea leaves?
They come from the garden of a  friend of mine. They only seem to feed on Hydrangea and Persicaria, they leave the other plants alone. And they have been doing this since September.
She hasn't been able to find any critter on her plants, they probably come out at night.

Could it be Otiorhynchus sulcatus? My friend thought it was too late in the year for this beetle to be feeding. And this beetle normally starts feeding from the margins of the leaves and not from the middle.

[Lesley Cox]

Unless you're sure it's a critter of some kind, I would suggest hail damage, if there has been hail recently?

[WimB]

Thanks Lesley,

it could be. I posted this question on the VRV forum too and someone there said the same. I hadn't thought about it before but it's the typical damage of a hailstorm, isn't it? And maybe it was a bug (vine weevil) in September and just now the additional damage from the hail.

[WimB]

So far, I've got hail damage, Capsid bugs or Vine weevil.... anyone else care to guess? Maybe a combination of different types of damage?

[Maggi Young]

Could be some kind of Rhabdopterus beetle.... but not, I think, Vine Weevil.
 Heaven knows, I have enough experience of vine weevil damage    

[Ragged Robin]

Someone has gradually eaten all the leaves on a hydrangea in a raised sink and it did start in September - will dig down and investigate tomorrow 

[WimB]

Thanks Maggi,

I have never heard of Rhapdopterus beetle before...are there species in this genus which are common in Europe?

Robin,

what did you find??

[Maggi Young]

The european flea beetles may have other names, Wim, but I thought the north american rhabdopterus had been found in Europe.... will check the RHS site to see if that's where I saw it.

 Mmmmm..... all I see so far on the RHS is about Phyllotreta and Psylliodes species so I must have read about the Rhabdopterus beetles elsewhere.....

[zephirine]

Heaven knows, I have enough experience of vine weevil damage    

Eurêka! Thanks to you, Wim, for revealing to us the deep reason why Dear Maggi was nominated "Vice President"!  
(avec mes sincères félicitations, chère Maggi!   )
Zeph

[Maggi Young]

Oh, Zeph,  my secret is revealed