The larvae have the irregular pattern of bristles on the raster which is typical of all Cyclocephala larvae. Female and male pupae can be separated by looking at the lower surface of the ninth abdominal segment. The males have a pair of conspicuous lobes while females have the segment partially divided below the genital pore. Adults of the northern masked chafer have conspicuous hair on the thorax and wing covers. The southern masked chafer has sparse hair.
Males have an enlarged fifth tarsal segment on the fore legs that is used to grasp the female.
In C. lurida males, the antennal club is shorter or equal to the combined length of the other antennal segments. C. borealis males have a longer club . The northern and southern masked chafers have very similar life histories and habits. Males come to the soil surface after dark before females emerge. The southern masked chafer is apparently active earlier in the evening than its sibling species, the northern masked chafer.