Head, pronotum, scutellum and underside purple-bronze, posterior half of elytra mostly black with bronze reflections and transverse yellow posterior lacunae which do not meet at the suture. Similar to C. chinnocki which is larger, lacks the purplish colouration, and has a more cylindrical body shape.

Previously known in SA only by the holotype collection which has the locality given simply as 'Flinders Ranges'. A single individual was collected recently by Mark Hura in mallee habitat of the Murray Region (MU). This specimen has the anterior half of the elytra predominantly yellow - it lacks the pre-medial dark fascia which Barker 2006a notes is absent in the SA holotype but present in all WA specimens.

In WA, C. flindersi has been collected on Eremophila decipiens and E. drummondii. Some of the other species in the C. cupricauda species group are also known to be associated with Eremophila or with Myoporum. Both plant genera were formerly classified in family Myoporaceae, but are now placed in Scrophulariaceae. The occurrence on E. decipiens is interesting, as that species has red tubular flowers adapted for bird pollination, whereas violet-flowered eremophilas adapted for insect pollination are the ones usually used by buprestids. It suggests that there may be a chemical (not merely colour) basis for the host attraction which would be expected if Eremophila was a larval host as well. See also a similar situation described under C. chinnocki.