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Length greater than 6.5 mm. Body form oval, convex, blackish-brown in colour and lacklustre with short, dense pubescence (Casey 1912). Labrum semicircular (El-Moursy 1970) and first antennomere black (Downie et al. 1996). Apical one fourth of each elytra with large transverse black spot extending from lateral margin to near mid line (El-Moursy 1970 and LeConte 1854). Elytral punctures small and dense but separated (Johnson 1991). Elytra broad and obtusely rounded posteriorly (El-Moursy 1970). Male genitalia with median lobe tapered near apex and parameres laterally curved at apex (El-Moursy 1970). Female genitalia presently unidentifiable (Hatch 1961). Larvae with large hypognathous head (head and mouth directed ventrally) with distinctive ventral epicranial ridges and 6 well-separated stemmata. Similar in body form to larvae of Chrysomelidae but with distinct lacinia and articulated galea (Lawrence 1991).

Adults are occasionally found in the soil of young trees in nurseries (Lawrence 1991 and Lawrence et al. 2000) and sometimes as washup or windblown drift on beaches (Johnson 2000). Larvae burrow under moss layers and underlying substrate (Johnson 2000). When disturbed, adults pull in their appendages and remain motionless. This behaviour creates the appearance of a small pebble or pill, hence the common name (El-Moursy 1961).