This insect is a primary pest of all elm trees. The adult beetle overwinters in sheltered areas. In the spring the adults feed on developing foliage.
Eggs are deposited in groups of 5 to 25 on the underside of the leaves. Each female may lay up to 800 eggs.
After hatching from the eggs, the young larvae feed from 2-4 weeks on the lower surface of the leaves and then pupate in the bark of the tree. Adults emerge after a pupal period of about 10 days. In the South, there may be as many as three generations a year, but the larvae of the first generation cause the most damage.
