What's eating my spatterdock?

Spatterdock is browsed by aquatic leaf beetles (Galerucella nymphaeae and Donacia spp.), pond moth caterpillars, and water lily aphids. Muskrats and beavers eat the fleshy rhizomes. The water lily leaf beetle is the most common culprit, grazing away the upper leaf surface and leaving floating leaves riddled with slots and holes.

Adults and dark grubs graze the upper leaf surface, creating elongate slots and ragged holes; heavily damaged leaves rot and disintegrate at the water surface Wipe or brush adults and grubs off floating leaves into the water for fish to eat; remove the worst-affected leaves; no practical chemical control in ponds

Adults create small circular holes in floating leaves; larvae tap into submerged stems and roots, reducing plant vigour Encourage fish that feed on larvae in the water column; remove damaged floating leaves to reduce egg-laying sites

Dense black or olive-green colonies on leaf undersides and stems; honeydew causes sooty mould; leaves yellow and curl Hose aphids off leaves into the pond; spray overwintering eggs on nearby plum or blackthorn in winter; fish in the pond will consume aphids that fall in

Rhizomes dug up and consumed; floating leaves severed; significant structural damage to established stands near banks Wire mesh around root zones in containers; deeper planting makes rhizomes harder to access; tolerating moderate browsing in large natural ponds is realistic