It is a major pest of cabbage and related crops in the Brassicaceae, as well as the ornamental flower cleome throughout tropical and North America, especially the warmer parts of the United States.

In the northern range there is only one generation annually and the insects overwinter as adults in crop residues or field edges.

Organic control involves hand-picking the insects off the plants (they can be dropped into soapy water to drown them) and being especially careful to remove and destroy all the eggs, which are black-and-white striped, laid in clutches of twelve.

[1] The adult bugs have been shown to be unpalatable to some species of birds thanks to this chemical defense,[1] which could explain their warning coloration.

To map out the circulation of blood in these insects, Craig et al. injected radioactive phosphorus into the posterior end of the heart and traced it through the body cavity.

Craig et al. also tested the time it takes for blood to form a homogeneous mixture (complete mixing).

[4] Stacconi and Romani (2011) found that, overall, the saccular structure within the spermatheca plays a key role in identifying mated and unmated females.

Also, the distinctive orange color of M. histrionica which plays a role in mate choice, was not affected by host plants.

[6] In a study conducted by Englishloeb and Collier (1987), insects released from the original bush had different migration preferences depending on their sex.

[6] The results of this study were appropriate because males are more inclined to find mates and reduce competition by migrating away from a dense area while females need to oviposit.

[7] These substances, found specifically in male pheromones, are responsible for aggregation of the insects to aid in sexual reproduction and can also be used in warning predators.