Here is a limb tip that is in the process of dying.
I am basically at ground zero of the ambrosia beetle and have dealt with them for years, it is odd that we are both having this same problem for the first time so far away from each other.
Ive seen them before in very early spring here on apple tree trunks that I cut back hard because of fireblight the previous fall, but have not see them on pawpaw here. I figured they went for those apple trees because they were stressed from heavy pruning, but these pawpaws seem super healthy. Let me know if you find any bore holes. I was surprised how small those holes are. It is odd that we are having the same trouble, if it turns out to have the same cause (which would not surprise me at all).
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I’ve had very early spring ambrosia beetles bore into the trunks, and kill, completely healthy 2, 3, and 4 year old pawpaws. This must be a different species based on the time of year and where on the tree they are boring. Sure hope I don’t have to deal with them.
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I have a friend with pawpaws in central IN. They had a hell of a time with ambrosia bettles eating and nearly killing their saplings last year and most of that year’s growth.
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Is this not what you’re dealing with?
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Not sure what is going on there ?
At first I thought asimina web worm, but the leafs are not wrapped up like they do. They kind of wrap the leafs into a tent with webbing . Does not appear to be , but could check to see if there are caterpillars inside those folded leaves ?
I would think ambrosia Beatles would effect the whole tree more so than individual shoots .but should check for small holes in bark.
Another possibility is Pawpaw peduncle borer. They enter through the flower base and tunnel down the pith in the twig. Could possibly cause this type of flagging on flowering size shoots.
So split some of those twigs in half to see if the pith is hollowed out
With a worm in there.?
Is the bark intact ? Cut some of those dead twigs off and dissect them.
I really don’t know what is causing this , but these are things I would look for .
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I went out yesterday and looked closer and it is some sort of insect boring into the limb. All the dead limbs had an area about a half inch long of dead almost rotten wood about a foot from the tip. One of the newer dead limbs still had the little tunnels visible but I never saw any live insects in any of the limbs.
Photos ?
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I will see if I can get out there later if it is not raining and take some pics. It is not the same ambrosia beetles that hit me in the spring, these are smaller in size.
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Sorry 
I’ve never seen anything like that before. Ambrosia beetles definitely will attack pawpaws.
Similar to periodic cicadas, other related insects will make slits in the bark and insert eggs. I know cicadas are aggressive enough with this that entire branches can be killed back, but not sure if others are as destructive.
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I could not get any good pictures, this is the best I could do.
Hole under sap
Cut showing small bore hole
They are hitting smaller limbs than the ambrosia beetles typically do in the spring. The limb in the pictures are about pencil sized whereas ambrosia beetles usually hit the trunk and larger limbs.
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That sounds identical to my problem. The beetles are so small I cant really see any features so can’t ID without a scope or magnifying glass. That and I know nothing about beetle ID haha.
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I wonder if Kentucky State, the paw paw breeding university that has released several cultivars, would have any interest in this issue? This seems like an insect pest that might be a new threat to paw paws. However I really haven’t seen them mention ambrosia beetles as threats either, which they clearly are.
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I just was watching this video and Sheri mentions the peduncle borer will bore into twigs/branch tips.
About 9:20 minute mark.
So that could be your issue.
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I think this is the critter: Black Twig Borer | NC State Extension Publications
It’s not a peduncle borer. I’m now noticing dead twigs on many tree species in my area. Some trees are really covered up with it. I’ve snapped off a few oak twigs and observed the beetle inside.
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Good research! Yikes. A type of ambrosia beetle (I didn’t know this applied to multiple species).
I think that is it. That article was written in 2003, surprised I have not had problems before this.
I was at the park yesterday and noticed this Paw paw tree had something knock it out pretty good. I did a scratch test and it is still green, though. The trunk is a branch of the previous trunk and I am wondering if it had the same issue before it was removed.
