They are common on milkweed plants. The scutellum has three black marks. Also known as nabids, these insects are predaceous in habit, feeding on other insects. Two forms of females occur, one with short wings and the other with long wings. Overwintering occurs in stems of grasses as yellow, curved eggs.
Hosts are bluegrass, timothy, redtop and orchard grass.
Overwintering adults become active in the spring and deposit curved eggs in the stems, petioles, midribs and blossoms of host plants. They cause catfacing of peaches and misshapen apples and strawberries. Nymphs are red-tinged. Antennae are alternately black and yellow. There are several hosts, including alfalfa and sweet clover.