[1][3] A. agrostis has been found in Australia, New Zealand, Western Europe, former USSR, Canada, and the United States.

[4] Infective second stage juveniles (J2) find a young host, migrate to areas of new growth and are carried up with the growing point of the plant.

[8] They may feed ectoparasitically until formation of the inflorescence, at which time the J2 invades the ovule, becomes sedentary, and a gall begins to form.

These juveniles undergo anhydrobiosis and become the dormant dauer larvae to withstand the hot summer heat of Australia.

The continuation of this process results in the formation of a large central cavity (in which the now-sedentary nematodes reside) enveloped by a gall wall.

Inner cells of the gall wall (near the cavity) have dense cytoplasm with several mitochondria, indicating high levels of metabolic activity.

These techniques eliminate the development of inflorescences and halt the life cycle of the nematode since they only mature to adulthood within the seed gall.

[4][5] A. agrostis cannot survive in the soil for more than one year and thus practices such as crop rotation or fallow have proven to be effective in managing the nematode.