Agave Snout Weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus) is a half-inch-long black beetle with a downward-curving proboscis that enables it to pierce an agave’s core, where it lays its eggs.
Grubs hatch, consume the agave’s heart, then burrows into the soil to pupate.
Is your agave infested?
Look for damaged tissue where leaves meet stem.
The lowest leaves will appear wilted, and may slope unnaturally downward while the center cone remains upright.
The plant, no longer anchored by roots, will rock when pushed.
When an infestation is well underway, it’s possible to push the agave over onto its side.
It’ll break at soil level, revealing a mushy, foul-smelling core infested by plump, squirming, half-inch, cream-colored grubs with brown heads.