Adult weevils nibble on leaves of many bromeliad species. However, the range of bromeliads in which female weevils lay their eggs is restricted at least to plants which have sufficient meristemmatic tissue to support development of larvae. Thus, Tillandsia ionantha , on which adults feed, is not a species on which females will lay eggs. It is feeding by larval weevils, which mine the meristemmatic tissue, that kills bromeliads. Larvae provided with an inadequate food supply produce small adults.
Female weevils lay their minute, elongate, yellow eggs in slits that they cut in leaf bases.
Development time of the eggs is unknown, but probably is not more than a few days. During this time they undergo five molts. Fully-grown larvae shred bromeliad leaves to obtain fibres to make a cocoon, in which they pupate. Duration of the pupal stage is about two weeks. Adults emerge from the pupae.