Adults are 3 to 6 mm long, white, with prominent antennae and 12 pairs of legs.
Nymphs resemble adults, but have few legs and are considerably smaller.
Symphylan adults and nymphs feed on the root system of host plants. Symphylan feeding injury on potato tubers is similar to the damage caused by flea beetle larvae and resembles shallow pits, visible just beneath the surface of the tuber. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.x or above to print.