The galls are produced by a secretion of this mealybug that reacts with the plant tissues. This insect goes through three larval stages before becoming an adult. This species does not lay eggs. Instead they are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs hatch within the female. They have flattened bodies with long hairs which aid in their dispersal by wind.
Female larvae molt three times before reaching adult maturity.
Thus, the total larval period varies from 26 to 52 days, averaging at about 35 days. Males, however, molt four times before becoming winged adults. Thus, the total larval period varies from 22 to 53 days. Larvae only feed during the first instar and the early part of the second instar. In actuality their bodies are brown to grayish-orange, but take on a grayish appearance in combination with the waxy exudation that covers them.