There are a wide variety of body characteristics among the different species. Some species are dark brown with hard bodies, while other species are soft with a white or yellowish coloration. These structures are absent on wireworm. They will continue to perform this act until they have successfully turned themselves upright. The lifecycle, beginning with the egg and ending with the adult, lasts between two and ten years.
Eggs take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to hatch.
The majority of the lifecycle is spent underground in the larval stage, which takes two to six years to complete. As larvae get close to maturation, they will create a cell in the ground for pupation. With in a few weeks, they develop into mature adults and remain in the cell until the following spring. The adults will live ten to twelve months, mostly around the soil surface in crakes in the soil and will die shortly after laying eggs. They prefer moist, cool, heavy soil.