They are inactive during the day, resting under plant trash, clumps of grass or lodged plants. They feed at night by crawling up on plants and consuming foliage. No preharvest interval. Do not feed livestock treated vines. This beetle can vary in color from yellow to reddish brown, and may have three to four black spots and a black border on the wing covers.
Adults emerge from overwintering, moving into bean fields as the seedlings emerge.
The white larvae develop in the soil, feeding on the roots and nodules. New adults emerging in July feed on foliage and pods. The injury to pods results in secondary infections by fungi and bacteria, causing rotting and discoloration. Due to low incidence of this insect in North Dakota, no local control guidelines have been developed. Do not feed treated vines.