Photo by Drees. In the spring, adults emerge and are attracted to flowering host plants. They deposit white, cylindrical eggs on stalks in the spikelets of flowers. They pupate in the spikelets and overwinter in cocoons in spikelets.
Pupae are dark orange and become darker as adults develop inside.
The development from egg to adult is complete in 14 to 16 days. Several generations are completed in Johnsongrass seed before the generation that damages sorghum seed. Larvae have rasping mouthparts. Johnsongrass and sorghum are the primary hosts, although they can develop on some other grasses. Larvae feed on the developing ovary of sorghum seeds, preventing normal development.