Defoliation occurs infrequently. The complete life cycle from egg to adult takes about 5 months. Each mass contains 27-38 dull yellowish eggs. The immature pinkwinged grasshoppers are similar in appearance to the adult. The different color forms appear during the second nymphal stage.
Males have five molts or stages and the females' six.
Each stage lasts about 10-20 days in Hawaii depending on temperature. The first stage nymphs are green, dotted and marked with white, and their legs are gray-spotted. Antennae are relatively short and are about the length of the insects face. The tips of the wings, when folded back at rest, have a pink tint. This pest is dimorphic in color having a gray form and a bright green body form.