This small brown beetle rarely exceeds 2 mm in length. Males may be identified by the broad erect plates on the clypeus and anterior margin of the pronotum, these vary greatly in size and this is not proportional to the size of the specimen, sometimes they are only weakly developed but they are always obvious. Females are probably best identified by association with the males.

Associated with bracket fungi especially Piptoporus betulinus, although it has been recorded from beneath bark on a few occasions.

All year round, with numbers building during spring months.

Now widespread in much of the southern half of Britain, it has now spread as far north as the Scottish borders.

Probably fairly frequent now in Leicestershire and Rutland. There were a total of 30 VC55 records for this species up to March 2015.