Damage caused by larval feeding can range from just a few feeding sites to complete root system destruction. Adults are brown moths with thin yellow bands on the abdomen and resemble some paper wasps. The front wings are brown while hindwings are clear. Male moths fly about in a manner similar to wasps. Larvae are cylindrical, cream-colored, with three pairs of true legs near the head and five pairs of fleshy abdominal prolegs each bearing two bands of tiny hooks.
Adults emerge from the soil in mid summer.
Eggs are laid on the soil surface, grape leaves, and weeds with eight days of adult emergence. Females lay an average of 350 eggs. Eggs hatch in about two weeks and larvae immediately tunnel into the soil in search of grape roots. Larvae will feed on the roots for 2 years. During the summer of the second year, larvae will pupate near the soil surface.