native to s. & e.Africa, adventive elsewhere, incl. the Americas, the Mediterranean, S.Asia(1); in our area, sw.US (CA to CO‒TX), FL [interceptions, may not be established](2)
Food
hosts: members of the mustard, nightshade, mallow, legume, sunflower and grain families. May damage cruciferous crops, infests a various other crops and weeds (Palumbo & Natwick 2010)(1)
Life Cycle
Eggs laid in clusters on leaves or soil; four nymphal instars(1); polyvoltine in s.CA
Remarks
May aggregate on non-hosts in the fall when bug populations are high and food is scarce.