Egg diapause and response of the froghopperAeneolamia varia(F.) to dry conditions were studied in the laboratory. Eggs were obtained from adult females collected in the field in each of fourA. variagenerations. Three discrete groups of eggs were found: nondiapause, short-time diapause, and prolonged diapause eggs with an average time of development of 15.5, 79.2, and 196.2 d, respectively. In generation I, nondiapause eggs accounted for 76.0% of the hatch, but in generation 2, only 19.3%. Prolonged and short-time diapause eggs predominated in generations 3 and 4, constituting 76.7 and 72.0%, respectively. Most of the eggs produced by adult females of generations 2–4 strongly resisted dry conditions. In the field, most of theA. variaeggs were killed by natural enemies or high temperatures (or both) at the soil surface, and only a few survived to hatch between 15 and 123 d. The predominance of nondiapause eggs early in the rainy season allows for a rapid increase in population. Most short-time and prolonged diapause eggs are laid later. This suggests that for control of this pest in sugar cane, insecticide sprays should be applied from the time of the appearance of the first population of nymphs until the development of those that give rise to adults of the generation 2.