According to experts, in the southern regions of Ukraine, the greatest damage to sunflower plantations is caused by sunflower barbel and sunflower tenon, which in recent years have acquired the status of economically significant.

Young individuals of the barbel live in the stems of the plant, gnawing tunnels in their middle. A similar activity is carried out by the sunflower tenon. She eats thin, writhing passages in the stems.

In recent years, there has been a widespread distribution of sucking sunflower pests throughout Ukraine. On leaves and baskets in summer, entire populations of gelichrysian aphids form, which migrate from stone fruit trees. Aphids eat the upper leaves and inflorescences, because of which they turn yellow and curl. In addition, she also carries viral diseases.

Berry bug and 20 species of horse-bug bugs lead to the flattening of seeds, damaging all terrestrial parts of the plant except the stem. Bedbugs harm the ovaries of flowers. From their activity, a kernel is not formed in the seed and it remains empty.

Young achenes and inflorescences of sunflower eat caterpillars of a woolly scoop. During the years of mass reproduction, this pest causes significant losses and leads to the defeat of sunflower baskets by rot pathogens.