Four days after emerging, adult females begin to lay eggs, and the lifetime total may be as many as 400. Adults may live up to 2 months. Relative Effectiveness C. montrouzieri is a voracious feeder of mealybug in both the larval and adult stages - a single larva may consume up to 250 small mealybugs. They are most effective when mealybug populations are high, and repeated releases may be necessary if mealybug populations are low. Although adults and young larvae prefer to feed on mealybug eggs, older larvae will attack any mealybug stage.
Adults can fly and cover large areas to search for food.
If mealybugs are scarce, they will fly off in search of other related insects, e.g. aphids and soft scales, although reproduction is substantially greater on mealybugs. Because C. montrouzieri cannot survive cold winters, they must be reintroduced into orchards where mealybugs were a problem the previous year in the early spring . The exception is moderate coastal regions. Like other ladybeetles, C. montrouzieri tends to disperse when released. In indoor sites, keep windows and vents closed the day of release.