 Leaves are also gummed together to shelter a feeding larva, but larve also feed in the crown of the plant amongst leaf bases, and if several are present they can kill the plant.Because they sometimes kill their host plants, adult weevils are able to walk considerable distances—up to 600 m—in search of new patches of coxella.They seem to form a metapopulation, relying on the constant re-establishment of new patches of "Aciphylla" after old patches are wiped out by high weevil densities.