The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a black, rectangular central mark bounded by red or pink.

[4] The specific epithet, consanguineus, is a Latin word meaning "related by blood" or "kindred".

[5] Beetles such as P. consanguineus go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

[1][2] Adult male P. consanguineus fireflies fly 0.5–1.5 m (1.6–4.9 ft) off the ground and flash to attract the attention of females.

[6] P. consanguineus is found in the eastern United States from Texas to the west and in Canada in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.