The checkered beetle is 10 to 17 millimeters long. It has shaggy, protruding hairs, especially on the head and pronotum. The hairs are black on the upper side and gray on the underside and legs.
The checkered beetle is strikingly colored. The head, pronotum and legs are black with a blue sheen. The elytra are strikingly red with three broad blue-black transverse bands. Below the elytra, the abdomen is bright red, which is interpreted as a warning color when flying.