32 Nebraskaland • July 2026
Head-clipping weevil
Head-clipping weevils girdle and
partially decapitate the flowers of
plant species such as sunf lowers,
purple coneflower and compass plant.
They then lay eggs in the dangling
heads so their larvae can feed on
the soon-to-be decomposing plant
matter. Eventually, the flower head
falls to the ground and the larvae
dig right into the soil below the
plant to overwinter and reappear the
following year to repeat the cycle.
By girdling the flower stems, the
w e ev i l d i s s u a d e s o t h e r i n s e c t s
from laying their eggs in the flower
because those competing insects
want their larvae to be able to feed on
seeds. Since no seeds will be produced
from a partially decapitated flower,
there's no reason for those insects to
lay eggs there, reserving the flower
for the weevil's own children.
I saw several examples of this in
my plot, including one sunflower that
looked like it had just been girdled.
When I peered up into the interior of
the hanging flower head, sure enough,
there was a weevil! I laid down on the
ground and photographed it from
below, but then also got another
photo as it crawled out — presumably
finished with its egg laying. Over the
next several weeks, I watched the
flower wilt and, eventually, drop to
the ground.
A head-clipping weevil emerges from a girdled
sunflower head, having just laid its eggs.
