What's eating my nymphaea 'marliacea carnea'?

Nymphaea 'Marliacea Carnea', a flesh-pink vigorous hardy water lily, shares exactly the same pest threats as other Nymphaea cultivars. Water lily aphids are the most frequent nuisance, clustering on pads and buds. Water lily beetles and China mark moth caterpillars cause visible physical damage to pads. Waterfowl can graze pads in open ponds. Avoid pesticides in the water at all times.

Black aphid masses on pads and flower buds; leaves discolour and curl; flowering is reduced in heavily infested plants. Dislodge colonies by hosing them into the pond; submerge pads briefly; stock pond with goldfish or koi to eat dislodged aphids.

Brown elongated grazing tracks across the upper pad surface; larvae are dark and slug-like; damaged areas rot and smell. Hose larvae into water; push affected leaves below water surface for a day; remove dead marginal vegetation each autumn.

Disc-shaped holes cut from pads; caterpillars carry portable cases of cut leaf pieces and are visible floating near the surface. Remove cases by hand and dispose of them away from water; let fish predation manage low-level infestations naturally.

Leaves, flower buds, and rhizomes eaten or uprooted; small ponds can be stripped bare by a persistent pair of ducks. Fit low-level netting or monofilament grid above pond; position baskets in deeper water zones less accessible to wading birds.