Collected in Austria and Hungary, the moth was introduced into the United States in 1984. Agapeta zoegana overwinters as a larva in the root. Adult emergence occurs from mid-June to early September.
Females begin mating on the first night after emergence and begin laying eggs the following evening.
Larvae hatch in 7-10 days and begin mining in the epidermal tissues of the root crown. Older larvae mine in the cortex and endodermis tissues and several larvae may develop in the same root. The moth has one generation per year. Studies in Montana indicate the moth is reducing the biomass of knapweed at some sites. The weevil, collected in Greece, was introduced into the United States in 1992.