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I notice you mentioned it being the right time for them to be active where I live. That was May and the damage pattern here in Fall looks the exact same but whatever it is, is attacking different varieties. In May, it was the bok choy and now it’s the tatsoi/chijimisai - greens.

I’m terrible. I’ve just been walking by them while working on things and not crouching down to try and see tiny bugs. They seem to have chilled but that may be because the temps have chilled.

I’m gonna have to start looking closer at them and do it in the morning, afternoon and again at night with a flashlight. Backside of leaves is important to check. Supposed to warm back up for a couple of days later this week so I’ll start checking today and continue through end of week.

Looks like Cabbage Aphids are a thing and diamondback moth which are small. We’ve had a lot of small moths up by and in the house. Like you, UVM says flea beetles are a Spring pest.

I’ve never gotten into pest ID and management. If something gets eaten, it gets eaten. Exception would be tomato hornworms. Time to start learning the nitty gritty of pests and diseases. They can be more intense in a tunnel.

SOLVED

And now I feel really lazy and dumb. Took me all of 10 seconds to find a couple of these on the underside of leaves.

The cross-striped cabbageworm (Evergestis rimosalis) is a medium-sized caterpillar with four pairs of abdominal prolegs. They have distinct black and white stripes across their back and a yellow stripe that travels down either side of their body (figure 14). Adult moths lay eggs in masses with 3 to 25 eggs in each mass.6 When the eggs hatch, the host plant can be quickly skeletonized (figure 15). Caterpillars show a preference for feeding on tender leaves, especially at the growing point, but may also bore into developing cabbage heads. They grow to about 0.75 inches before dropping to the soil to pupate just below the surface.

Skeletonized describes the Tatsoi/Chijisimai.

Bit too late for companions but thyme, dill, oregano, lavender, onions, garlic, and marigolds can deter them. Spraying with Bt is an organic spray option. Nasturtium can be a trap crop. Repeated hand picking is what I'll do with just a few plants. I imagine they'll keep working their way down the bed to the bok choy. Everything out there aside from a few lettuce plants are brassica.