The adult insect is slender, about 1 to 1.5 cm (0.4 to 0.6 in) long, with a red thorax and dark brown wings marked with a yellow cross.

), Caesarweed (Urena lobata), Spanish needles (Bidens pilosa), Portia tree (Thespesia populnea), rose, eggplant, black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and guava.

The eggs are pale yellow and are laid singly or in small groups in sand, leaf or plant debris, and hatch in about a week.

The nymphs are largely red but in the fourth and fifth instars, the dark wingpads are apparent as they enlarge, and the abdominal segments develop pale margins and become more obvious.

When they feed on citrus, they plunge their rostrum (beak-like mouthparts) deep into the fruit which may then fall a few hours later, or decay internally over the next few days.