[6] Clitarchus hookeri is found from Northland to the Wellington region in the south of the North Island of New Zealand.

On the South Island it is not as widespread, being found mainly in eastern coastal areas from Nelson and Marlborough in the north through Canterbury to its southern limit in Dunedin.

[8] The species is most commonly found on manuka, but has also been observed feeding on kanuka, pohutukawa, Muehlenbeckia australis, roses, white rata, and Coprosma.

[9] Clitarchus hookeri are hemimetabolous, meaning that the nymphs grow through a series of six instars before a final moult into their adult stage.

[11] Females hang off the edge of branches feeding on the leaves of their host plant and signalling to males by releasing a mix of volatile chemicals.

Males remain attached to the female for extended periods, ranging from one through to 10 nights, during which they may mate multiple times.

It is thought that the lack of genetic diversity in the lower North Island/South Island population to be due to its younger lineage than their sexually reproducing relatives.