Thirteen biological pest control agents have been used against this plant and its cogener, diffuse knapweed, including the moths Agapeta zoegana and Metzneria paucipunctella, the weevils Bangasternus fausti, Larinus obtusus, and Larinus minutus and Cyphocleonus achates, and the fruit flies Chaetorellia acrolophi, Urophora affinis and Urophora quadrifasciata.
It is mainly found in Cnicus (Cnicus benedictus L. (Asteraceae)), and is present in spotted knapweed plants, where highest and lowest concentrations are found in the leaves (0.86-3.86% cnicin) and stems respectively.
Centaurea | Centaurea nigra | Centaurea scabiosa | Centaurea jacea | Centaurea maculosa | Mined leaf of ''Centaurea nigra | Leaf of ''Centaurea scabiosa | Centaurea montana | Centaurea iberica | Centaurea diffusa | Centaurea cineraria | A shoot of ''Centaurea nigra |