Unless you had a cloud of locusts visit overnight, I'd suspect the leaf damage/disappearance is due to a much larger organism. Not sure what culprits may lurk in your area, but I'd suspect rabbits, gophers or groundhogs, maybe skunks or possums.

I also found these bugs around my garden but it isnt letting me post the picture for some reason but they are brown thin flying bugs. We dont really have any of those animals around because I live close to the city

Deer might do that, too. You might be surprised at all the animals that live in suburban areas, even ones near city centers.

Very few types of insects can do that much damage in a short period of time. The cloud of locusts I mentioned, a host of caterpillars perhaps. Not a few flying bugs. If it was grasshoppers/locusts or caterpillars, you should be able to find evidence - frass, a body or two....even something lurking on another nearby plant.

btw, all those critters I mentioned are entirely capable of living and thriving in very urban environments. Since several are nocturnal, they are seldom seen but that does not eliminate their presence! As an example, Seattle has become overrun in recent years with wild cottontail rabbits that can be seen hopping across downtown streets in early morning hours, as well as in parks and neighborhood gardens. They can live anywhere!!

Possums are everywhere and do eat leaves. I had a 5' tall papaya attacked that way. The babies are small and light enough to climb plant supports. When it's animals like that, you may find parallel scratches from their claws on the trunk and branches.

OTOH, lubber grasshoppers can do an enormous amount of damage in a short time and leave ragged edges like that too. You may see their droppings on and around the plant, which looks similar to rat droppings.

Maybe the OP lives in Las Vegas where they had the recent invasion of grass hoppers.

My guess would be deer. New fawns will try to eat just about anything that they can reach. They have been 'pruning' my cucumbers all season and snacking on the winter squash as well. Do you see any deer tracks in the area?

definitely no deer in my neighborhoods

Looks like my chickens came over and ate the leaves off your eggplant after they finished mine.

The eaten-off-ends of leaves sure looks like an animal.

Probably not gophers. They start at the roots. I'm in the middle of town and get all of the creatures above (except groundhogs as far as I know) plus turkeys!

Tomato hornworms attack all members of the nightshade family and can strip a plant overnight. They hide during the day. I've had them strip my brugmansia and daturas the same way. Come out at night and see if you can find and destroy them.

I found a green lizard on mine the other day.... I tried to kill it but it got away.... it had done some damage before I saw it

Why would they eat nightshade leaves? But ignore the fruit? Sounds like something big and dumb. You totally sure there are no deer roaming around at 4am? I've never seen a deer on my street but I have deer eating my Hosta plantaginea during the night, don't know why anything would eat that either.

writersblock.... anoles are good.They are eat insects and other lizards... but this is a green iguana.... you can tell by the cheek plates. They are not native. They get huge. This guy is about two feet long and is small. I have others that are 3 to 5 feet long and they eat plants. I have seen them actually EATING the plants and I captured one that was on a window and took it to FAU and had it identified.

So it is. I didn't enlarge the photo before. Well, they say iguanas taste like chicken, if that helps any. But yeah, they will eat just about everything. :(

writersblock, I prefer KFC, Churchs, and Popeyes.... but anybody who wants to go hunting for your "chicken" I welcome them to my backyard :)

I'm sticking with hornworm. I just picked one off of one of my brugs today. I don't think iguanas or deer will eat eggplants, but I could be wrong. I've never had a deer eat any of my nightshade plants.

" I've never had a deer eat any of my nightshade plants."

Deer routinely "prune" my tomatoes. They don't really bother the developing fruit but they do eat the leaves and stems. And often whole clusters of flowers.

If you have a fenced garden, check for holes dug under the fence. That looks like groundhog damage.

Time venture out to the garden at night with a flashlight and see what is lurking about. Go out about 10:00 pm if it is insects or snails. Snails put holes in leaves and animals usually go for the ripe fruit in my experience. Looks like Hornworm damage to me. They can defoliate a plants in a couple of nights. They are huge green caterpillars but hard to spot because they blend in with foliage. This about the time they appear and wipe out garden greenery. Look closely and if you look real close then say OMG that a Hornworm, pick them off and squash em. Good luck.