Wow, weevils. Another insect to worry about. :-) No wonder this native plant appears to be struggling in the wild. Would you know what type of material the protective net was made of?

Do you think the damage was done by adult weevils or might they lay eggs on the pod, with the young feeding off of the pod contents?

Thanks for this heads up, Mark.

Mary

Hi Mary,

My friend used tulle fabric which we both thought would keep out any predators but i think the problem was that the fabric was touching the seed pods. You must make sure that the netting is clear of the pods. I see this attack regularly in our area on all species. Whatever the insect is it either bites a small hole or has an ovipositor strong enough to pierce the pod and then lay their eggs which hatch and the larva eats the seed. Like you said it just another problem in the long list of problems that the Asclepias species must endure.

Mark

I wonder if the weevil is an exotic species. I keep reading that Redring Milkweed is declining and I'm so sad about it. It's native to my county, yet I've never even seen it in person:-(

I assume it is a native pest as it is mentioned for many years.

Hi Folks,

I've been getting lots of request already this year for seeds of Asclepias variegata. I have communicated with Dennis (ctnchpr) and he has already started a new thread called "white milkweed,2016". He will be handling the distribution of the seed himself if they do indeed make viable seed. I would recommend you check this thread often to keep up with the progress and he will notify us when and if seed are available.

Regards,

Mark Rose (wildflowerman_2000)

Here is the link for the white milkweed,2016 thread:

forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/3933086/white-milkweed-2016?n=7