Color and markings of the adult vary from black, brown or gray to striped or spotted forms with a combination of colors. Antennae are conspicuous and the head appears larger than the thorax. When viewed from above, blister beetles have a constriction between the back of the head and the anterior end of the thorax exhibiting a neck-like appearance. Weeds such as pigweed, goldenrod, goathead and puncturevine also serve as host plants. The immature stages of the blister beetle are predaceous on grasshopper egg clusters and can be considered beneficial.
All blister beetles contain the blistering agent cantharidin in their blood.
In Arkansas, the most common blister beetle species complete a single generation per year. Adults emerge from the soil during late spring to early summer. After mating, females lay egg masses during the summer. These egg masses, containing 50 to 300 eggs, are laid in shallow ground cavities and hatch within two weeks. The larval stages are grub-like and are found in the soil.