Which sunflower pest is known for the head clipping habit leading to dramatic damage?

Which sunflower pest is known for the head clipping habit leading to dramatic damage?

• A. Cutworms
• B. Sunflower headmoths
• C. Headclipping weevils
• D. Sunflower stem borers

Answer: (C)

The key idea is recognizing pests by the damage they cause. Headclipping weevils attack developing sunflower heads and actually clip off portions of the head. This habit leads to dramatic losses because the clipped head can’t develop seeds properly and is often unsellable. You can spot the damage by heads that look chewed or shortened, with missing kernels around the top. Other pests cause different patterns: cutworms mainly harm seedlings or stems, sunflower head moths feed inside the head but don’t produce the distinctive clipped head, and stem borers damage the stem rather than the head. So when you see heads that have been literally clipped, the culprit is headclipping weevils.

The key idea is recognizing pests by the damage they cause. Headclipping weevils attack developing sunflower heads and actually clip off portions of the head. This habit leads to dramatic losses because the clipped head can’t develop seeds properly and is often unsellable. You can spot the damage by heads that look chewed or shortened, with missing kernels around the top. Other pests cause different patterns: cutworms mainly harm seedlings or stems, sunflower head moths feed inside the head but don’t produce the distinctive clipped head, and stem borers damage the stem rather than the head. So when you see heads that have been literally clipped, the culprit is headclipping weevils.