Many economically important root weevils are parthenogenetic, including strawberry root weevil, black vine weevil, whitefringed beetles, Fuller rose beetle, and others. Correlates of parthenogenesis in insects include soil-dwelling, polyphagy, flightlessness, and pest status; root weevils exemplify all of these. According to standard evolutionary theory, parthenogenetic lineages should be teetering on the brink of extinction due to specialized natural enemies, or mutation accumulation, or both. And yet, many parthenogenetic pests appear to be thriving in agricultural ecosystems. This is both a theoretical paradox and a real headache. What factors are most likely to precipitate the collapse of parthenogenetic populations? Studies of parthenogenetic insect pests -- including experimental attempts to precipitate their collapse using natural enemies and other manipulations -- are the systems most likely to shed light on this important evolutionary question. At the same time, theoretical studies of the vulnerabilities of parthenogens (and thus of the utility of sexual reproduction) may also shed light on the real vulnerabilities of parthenogenetic pest populations in ways useful to pest managers.