A distinctive, large, dark-coloured species, elongate in body shape, with elytra tapering somewhat acutely towards apex in their posterior 1/3. Medial pronotum in posterior 2/3 raised with prominent closely spaced transverse striae; elytra with discrete and strongly raised ribs, and anterior (basal) foveae pair that are deep and often powdery white within. Apical ventrite with wide incision, bordered by teeth that are bilobed in male (apex quadridentate in male, but tridentate in female which also has a median tooth extending from a median carina). Frons with quite dense non-appressed hairs.

A common and widely distributed arid zone species.

The single breeding record here, in River Cooba Acacia stenobotrya, is based on an incompletely developed adult reared from a pupa. Originally it was treated here as C. mastersii due to its bright colouration, but this is now attributed to its immaturity and it is identified as C. subsimilis. This is supported by: details of the apical abdominal sternite including its flat shape, median carina, and tridentate apex characteristic of females in this species; the very shiny sternum with sparse punctae including some that are small and indistinct; and importantly, the posterior half of the median pronotum bearing well-developed, closely spaced and coalescing horizontal striae/ridges.