Written collaboratively by Adam Varenhorst, Patrick Wagner, Philip Rozeboom, Bradley McManus, Govinda Shrestha and Abigail Martens.
In recent years, the gray sunflower seed weevil, Smicronyx sordidus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has become somewhat rare in commercial sunflower fields throughout South Dakota. However, recent research noted that their populations were more abundant on wild sunflowers than commercial sunflowers in South Dakota (Prasifka 2026, personal communication). Although typically present at low population densities, the gray sunflower seed weevil has been identified as a potential economic pest of sunflowers.
