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Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) Biocontrol Program
Musk thistle (Carduus nutans), a Kansas noxious weed and native to Eurasia, is usually a biannual that spends almost 90% of its life as a rosette. In the spring musk thistle bolts and forms flowers that are reddish pink to purple.
Two insects, musk thistle head weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus, and musk thistle rosette weevil, Trichosirocalus horridus, are approved for biological control in the Kansas Department of Agriculture musk thistle control program. For more information, refer to the KSU extension bulletin “Biological Control of Musk Thistle in Kansas”.
Musk Thistle Head Weevil
Rhinocyllus conicus
