Adult body color is brown, the abdomen is banded and is seen at the sides of the wings. The antennae are banded with white. The hind legs have expanded sections with white bands.
Eggs are laid on the needles and cones of evergreen trees, including spruce, pine, and fir, but pine trees are the preferred site. Eggs hatch in ten days; there are five nymph stages that look like the adult but lack wings.
Food includes seeds of pine cones and other conifers. The nymphs and adults have sucking mouthparts and suck plant sap from the seeds.
Habits. Adults overwinter in bird nests and rodent burrows and under bark of logs and firewood. They often move indoors around doors and windows. The adults make a loud buzzing noise when they fly. They do not bite or sting.