The female migrates from one ear to the next. The young nymph feeds on the lemmae and then penetrates the flower which may become sterile due to the nymph's feeding damage. When the grain has reached the milky-ripe stage, the nymph moves into the furrow of the grain and attacks the pericarp. Once it has completed its development, the nymph vacates the lemmae and falls to the ground. L ife Cycle - There is 1 generation per year.
Females lay eggs in the ears which are still enclosed in a sheath.
Fully developed nymphs leave the ear, penetrate the soil to a depth of 30-35 cm and enter a state of diapause in early July. They show great resistance to cold. Pupation starts in the middle of March. D amage - Feeding on the ovaries of tender wheat leads to distortions, degenerations, grains sometimes aborting. This has considerable consequences on yield as well as on the baking quality of flour.