This is a naked barberry bush. Some creatures have completely stripped it.
I have seen this on another barberry, and some other shrubs as well.
I never see any bugs, but they are definitely leaving their mark. Earwigs? Grasshoppers? Caterpillars?
The red berries certainly show up now, but I loved this bush for the purple leaves. I really hope the leaves grow back next year.
And I’ll have to be on the lookout for the first signs of damage.