As a member of Order Coleoptera (beetles) their forewings are modified to form hardened covers over the thorax and abdomen, with the hindwings for flight underneath.

[3] Both males and females have been shown to have increased longevity when feeding on pea plants as opposed to the alfalfa they eat over winter and in spring prior to migration.

[6] Damage to pea and bean crops can be severely impacted by S. lineatus feeding, due to the fact that both the root Rhizobium and foliage are fed upon by larvae and adults respectively.

The damage to root nodules from hosting larvae can lead to decrease pod production, lower protein content of peas or beans, and the necessity of artificially fertilizing pulse crops and the increased cost associated with this,[5][7] Strategies for pest management has led to research relating to farming practices, biological agents, pesticides, and soil manipulation in order to mitigate harmful effects towards pulse crops by insects like S. lineatus.

[7] In a laboratory study on insect pathogens it was shown that introducing biopesticides, in the form of toxic materials produced by bacterium, to a population of S. lineatus can have beneficial effects on mortality rates of exposed individuals.

[9] Also, the potential to add insect pathogens directly to soil as a preventative measure could possibly create a pre-delivered natural buffer defense against the larvae that are responsible for damage to rhizobium bearing root nodules.

[11] Air temperature has been shown to have increased over a 30 year period retroactively from 2020,[11] which could enable these insects to leave their winter habitat earlier in spring to colonize crop land with greater ease.