The adults of the Cicadidae measure approximately 4-5 mm, are light yellow with greyish or brownish marks and make irregular moves. The nymphs resemble the adults very much, however, are more whitish, have no wings and move around a lot.

The adults, just as the nymphs, live underneath the leaves. The eggs are laid under the epidermis over the entire length of a vein on the underside of the leaf and are as good as invisible to the naked eye. A female Cicadidae can lay up to 50 eggs during her entire adult life. The nymphs hatch after 17 days at a temperature of 18°C or after 10 days provided temperature is 22°C.

Every nymphal stage (there are 5 in total) takes 5 days at a temperature of 22°C or 8 days at 18°C. The nymphs, just as the adults, feed on the sap of a plant (by means of a puncture). The damage caused appears as small round white marks visible on both sides of the leaf. In cases of larger damage, the marks form one big whitish surface, sometimes spread over the entire leaf.