A caterpillar in the bonnet, continued

As I continued my search for the seed pod raiders, I soon came across more plausible suspects than the lady beetle. I found numerous caterpillars not only suspiciously near both old holes…

... and fresh holes...

… but also chewing the holes…

… and feeding from within the seed pods.

Because the seeds are provisioned with enough nutrients and energy to support the initial growth of a new plant, they make tempting meals -- even considering the effort required to tunnel through the protective pod.  Thus, by the time the seed pods finished maturing, a significant proportion appeared to have been plundered by the large population of hungry caterpillars.