Critter: Agave weevil

So your large agave plant suddenly looks like it's wilting. It could just mean I've made it my home. I'm the agave weevil, or Scyphophorus acupunctatus.

As an adult, I am a black bug, about an inch long and beetle-esque. I have a long, curved nose, like most weevils. Although it may look like I have wings, they are just for show. I can't fly.

The large century plant, or Agave americana, is my favorite food source.
The females of my species lay eggs in holes burrowed in the leaves. When the eggs hatch, the white, legless larvae head for the tender center of the plant to feed.

By the time the plant starts to get that wilted look, my whole family is feeding on the dead tissue and fibers that attract other bugs and bacteria.

The only way you'll stop us is by moving us away from other plants in the area. Otherwise, the next generation, and the next, will find homes there.