Eggs are laid in twos in small holes made by the female in the midrib, petioles, or petiole bases of taro plants. The eggs hatch after 14 days into creamy white nymphs. There are five nymphal stages lasting about 19 days depending on weather conditions. Then the nymphs become adults which are black with a big white patch. Nymphs and adults tend to congregate on the underside of leaves and on the unfurled central leaf.
Planthoppers normally move sideways, and both adults and nymphs hop readily if disturbed.
They are most common during dry weather. Taro planthoppers feed only on taro. They suck the sap out of the plants and a reddish crust forms where the sap has oozed out. Heavy feeding can cause the leaves to turn yellow, wither, and die. These planthoppers may also transmit several diseases of taro, but the two most serious ones, alomae and bobone, are reported only from the Solomon Islands and New Guinea.