[6] The flightless and gregarious nymphs have aposematic dark-and-yellow stripes and are presumed to be toxic.

[5][7] T. cristata occurs in a wide range of habitats, both in lowlands and highlands.

[3][8] In the southern part of its distribution, it is largely restricted to humid and semi-humid forested regions, avoiding places that are open and dry, but in the northern part it also occurs in somewhat drier habitats.

[4][8] T. cristata feeds on many types of plants and occasionally it is regarded as a pest.

[6][7][8] The lifecycle is annual with overlapping generations,[9] but in some regions there is a level of seasonality in the occurrence of adults and nymphs.