Though a native of Asia, upon its discovery it was believed to have been transported into North America in the straw bedding of Hessian troops during the American Revolution (1775–1783), thus the origin of its common name.

Nonetheless, it appears that this species, or one exactly like it in habits, had been known for at least a century prior to the American Revolution from a locality near Geneva, and also for a long time from some regions in France.

[citation needed] In 1836, a severe infestation of Hessian flies resulted in a crop shortage aggravating the financial problems of farmers prior to the Panic of 1837.

[3] For example, in the Coastal Plains region of Georgia and South Carolina, 5-6 total generations can be observed in a year; two in fall, one in winter, and one-two in spring.

[3][7] Oviposition sites are carefully chosen through chemical, visual, and tactile cues, taking into account intrinsic factors that could maximize survival of offspring, such as number and depth of vascular grooves on the leaf surface.

[3][7][4] This tissue is created by the interaction of specialized enzymes in the insect's saliva with cells in the epidermis and mesophyll of the plant, causing organelles to break down and rupture.

[7] Lytic enzymes, present within the midgut via holocriny, act along with salivary secretions to break down complex cellulose-based plant materials into liquid sugars and proteins, which are then easily consumed by the larva.

[7] While it primarily serves the purpose of transforming food into a usable form for the larva,[7] this special combination of chemicals also produces a wide range of effects in the host plant, the exact scope of which is unknown.

[10] The resulting gene-to-gene compatibility causes changes in numerous metabolic processes, such as glycolysis and amino-acid synthesis, leading to free-containing carbon compounds being directed away from the plant and leached out as a liquid.