Adults may or may not have wings. If wings are present they are clear, contain few veins, and are held roof-like over the body. Young aphids look just like adults except they are smaller. What is known is that the winged form of this aphid moves up from southern states each spring. In the spring, they move to weedy hosts such as johnsongrass, crabgrass and barnyard grass.
Females give birth to live young and multiply rapidly.
While most remain wingless when becoming adults, some develop wings at maturity. Winged individuals fly off and establish new colonies while the wingless individuals walk short distances and establish new colonies or remain in the parent colony. Infestation in corn begins about four weeks prior to tasseling and continues through tasseling. Colonies are formed in the curl of leaves, in the whorl or on unemerged tassels. Aphid populations quickly decline after tassel emergence due to exposure to natural enemies and movement of winged individuals to later corn plantings or other hosts.