Older larvae have a dark schlerotized area on the prothorax and on the last segment of the abdomen. They are 19 to 24 mm long. Larvae feed on the cambium and inner bark of the lower trunk, usually just below the soil surface. Large gum masses often indicate infestation. Feeding may also injure the larger roots.
Small trees are sometimes completely girdled and killed.
Overwinter as larvae in trees. Adults emerge from May to October with peaks in early and late summer. Oviposition usually begins the day of emergence. Females lay from 200 to 800 eggs, most on the lower 15 cm of the trunk and on the soil nearby. Eggs hatch in about a week.