Eggs
Females typically emerge from the soil to deposit eggs in the spring, which is June in many temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Although the adults may be active at night, eggs are produced only in the presence of sunlight. The eggs are quite small, about 0.05 mm in diameter. They are heavily pigmented and brown or reddish brown in color; this dark coloration protects them from ultraviolet light and extends their viability. The eggs are slightly constricted in the middle, and bear two clusters of branched filaments called byssi, one at each pole. As rainfall and dew evaporate, the filaments adhere to the foliage, causing the egg to remain fixed to the vegetation, where it can be consumed along with the plant. Irrigation can increase nematode parasitism of grasshoppers by simulating rainfall conditions. As noted previously, rainfall normally is a prerequisite for females to leave the soil to oviposit.