It has a dark head and body and paler, orange-coloured pointed elytra that do not completely cover the abdomen.

Adult females lay eggs in decaying wood in autumn, which hatch in spring or summer.

When the M. paradoxus beetle penetrates the V. vulgaris host, it is vital that it avoids being detected.

These beetles seem to avoid being detected by mimicking the cuticular hydrocarbon profile of their host, the common wasp.

[citation needed] In 2020, American rapper Megan Thee Stallion created an Instagram post featuring a video of her and a female friend talking about a beetle with large antennae in Megan's house.