OK - Who ate my Margaret Curtain?

[aclum]

Hi,

Well, if it's not one thing it's another this year!!

After a few days of fairly steady rain and cool weather, I finally got out in the garden to take a look at my plants. I noticed one of my two Margaret Curtins leaning towards one side and, on closer inspection, I found that it had been chomped around the soil line. I've never seen this particular damage before. I do have a bamboo skewer about 1/4-1/2" away from the stem so I don't think it would be cutworms. Plus it's not actually cut in half. It sort of looks like the center was sucked out. I didn't see any obvious root or leaf damage (other than the leaves and stem being especially purple - due to the cold, wet weather, I'm assuming). I'm posting a photo of the pulled plant "intact" and one of the plant "dissected" showing horizontal and vertical cuts to the stem.

Any idea who or what the culprit is?

Anne