They become active in April and move to the earliest host plants available. They feed voraciously for several days and then mate. Each female lays 175 to 250 eggs in clusters of 12 to 24 in the soil at the plant's base. Eggs hatch in 1 to 3 weeks, depending upon the temperature. The larvae find their way to the base of the stem or roots and feed there for 3 to 6 weeks.
Mature larvae form earthen cells within which the pupae form.
In southern states, peak periods of adult activity generally occur the last of May, the last of July, the second and third weeks in August, and the second and third weeks of September. Second generation beetles overwinter in North Carolina.