All wingless stages are lemon-yellow, with the body bearing small spines and marked with two rows of small dark spots down the back. When feeding on leaves of seedling sorghum, these aphids inject a toxin which causes infested leaves to turn purplish. Injury to more mature leaves causes yellowish discoloration and stunting. Heavily infested plants in the pre-boot stage may die. Alternate host plants include Johnsongrass and dallisgrass.
Mature females produce live young nymphs without mating.
These nymphs develop into adults within 6 to 30 days, depending on temperature, and also produce live young at a rate of 2 to 3 per day over a 20 to 30 day period. Many generations occur per year and they can be found year-round in the Texas wherever host plants occur. Infestations spread by winged forms flying and being blown many miles by the wind. Adults and nymphs occur on the underside of leaves, particularly on the lower, older leaves of host plants. They infest plants of all growth stages and can kill young plants, reducing plant stand.