This beetle has conspicuous yellow-brown wing cases with a darker head. It also has a rather odd oval sort of shape. The whole animal is conspicuously bristly. Adults feed on pollen and nectar of ‘open’ flowers e.g. Yarrow or umbels. Larvae are detritovores in leaf litter and turf. Adults first appear towards the end of June and are soon very common, being found by sweeping long grass or low shrubs in just about any habitat. In bright sunshine they are often seen on flowers, especially umbels. Perhaps easiest found around the town centre where they rest on walls, sometimes in small numbers, during the morning. Towards the end of August they are less active, being found under leaves in shrub beds and other shaded places, appearing again in September for a short while. They fly readily.

7-9mm. Very distinctive although at first glance might be mistaken for a member of the Cantharidae but the Heteromerus tarsal formula , 5-5-4, renders the insect unmistakable. Head and thorax black with long yellow pubescence, coarsely punctate throughout, head more densly so. Elytra light brown and closely punctured, appearing golden due to dense long yellow pubescence. Appendages black, pubescent throughout. Eyes deeply excised, much larger in the male. Terminal antennal segment very long in male, twice as long as 10 in female.