Cattail Flash-train Firefly

P. consimilis is a medium-sized beetle, with adults that measure about 10—11 mm (0.4 in) long. The head shield, or pronotum, is pale yellow with a dark, central bar that is sometimes wider at the front, bounded by red or pink. The wing covers, or elytra, are dark with light-colored margins. The male has lanterns on 2 segments of its abdomen and the female has a lantern on only one segment. The rest of the abdominal segments are dark.

P. consimilis is native to the eastern United States and has been found as far west as eastern Oklahoma and north to southern Ontario.

Beetles such as P. consimilis go through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Photinus fireflies spend the majority of their lives as larvae, which are bioluminescent and likely live below the soil surface, eating snails, worms, and other soft-bodied invertebrates.

The specific epithet, consimilis, means "with similarity", and refers to the fact that there are several other closely related species that look similar, including Photinus carolinus.