[3] They are among the most common parasitic nematodes of plants; found in corn, bananas, grass, soybeans.

They lay eggs on, around, or inside the roots, and within two or three days the juveniles emerge to feed.

Nematodes of this genus have been noted to be ubiquitous in soil samples in Florida with no plant damage nearby.

An exception is in parasitism by H. multicinctus, which can cause enough root necrosis that it seriously weakens the plant.

This species may be the most economically important, occurring in crops such as bananas of the Cavendish group.