It's not bugs so stop spraying!! Looks to be a water issue - too much or not enough. It can be hard to judge with newly planted shrubs and there is also a strong possibility that the rootball was dry when planted and is now repelling rather than absorbing water. Excessive heat and too deep planting can also produce limp, curled foliage as well.

And the shrub would really appreciate removal of all the rocks and replacing them with an organic, wood based mulch. The rocks absorb too much heat and can cook and/or smother the very surface oriented root system.

Rhodies are woodland plants, rarely happy in full VA sun and want a cool, consistently moist (not wet) soil.

Looks to be a water issue - too much or not enough

Mostly likely this year, too much! This has been one of the most trying years for growing eh, 'mesoclimatic' plants in the Mid-Atlantic region...in my little corner at least. Even though the monthly rainfall figure look impressive - over 6" for each month MJJAS, we've had long, hot dry spells punctuated by tremendous downpours. I don't think I've gotten any rain this summer from a rainfall event of < 1.5 inches! And I've had several > 3" rain falls. This borders on the worst possible scenario for root rot sensitive plants, and some have bitten the dust. For me, fortunately, my established rhodies have been OK. But ca. 10 years ago I started planting all of them on slope or mounds, or moved them to slopes or mounds.

By the time root rot is causing visible symptoms like this, it's almost always too late.

And 100% agree w/GG about the siting. Looks way too hot and dry especially with those rocks. Those might have retarded 02 exchange in the soil, further increasing the chances of the rhodie 'drowning' and root rot setting in. Rhodies need a natural mulch in our area, but not a heavy one.

I would give them sun until 10-11am and replace the rocks with 2-4" of "wood based mulch". The root system of these guys is quite small, only on the top 4" so the soil can easily dry out and the rocks will radiate heat at night so the plants do not get respite from the summer sun at night. Water if the soil feels dry to a depth of 4". If the soil is moist or soggy when you want to water, skip watering and check again the following day. And use enough water to get the soil moist down to about 8" or so. Start watering from the base and move in a circle to get all sides moist.