Its anterolateral (= in front and away from the middle) pronotal margin is rather straight and not strongly arced such as in Chinavia pensylvanica.

Both adults and nymphs have large stink glands on the underside of the thorax extending more than half-way to the edge of the metapleuron.

This species is found in orchards, gardens, woodlands and crop fields throughout North America,[2] feeding with their needle-like mouthparts on the juices of a wide variety of plants from May until the arrival of frost.

Plants such as black cherry, elderberry, mimosa and pecan exist as farmscape edges, which provide immature organisms a safe location to develop and a gateway to agricultural fields.

The early instar nymphs are rather brightly colored and striped, turning green when approaching adulthood.

[5] The green stink bug is considered to be a pest of economic importance in the United States.

Most damage is administered by adults; effects can include catfishing (the misshaping of plant tissue, creating rough and corky edges) in peaches, internal warts and stained lint within cotton, green stem syndrome in soybeans and white spongy areas on tomatoes.