Early in the season the adults are wingless, but under conditions of over-crowding, winged forms appear and migrate to neighbouring plants.

[7] This aphid feeds almost exclusively on a range of grasses in the family Poaceae; genera attacked include Agropyron, Avena, Bromus, Dactylis, Eleusine, Festuca, Hordeum, Lolium, Oryza, Panicum, Poa, Sorghum, Triticum and Zea.

[9] In warm or moderate climates, the greenbug reproduces by parthenogenesis, female insects producing nymphs at the rate of up to five per day on paspalum near the Florida coast.

In cooler climates, females mate in the autumn with winged males, and the eggs overwinter on such grasses as Poa pratensis.

[10] Within the Post-Soviet states there can be up to fifteen generations in the year and the most favourable temperature is around 20 °C (68 °F) for wingless forms, and 27 °C (81 °F) for winged ones.