Mecodema crenicolle is a medium-large ground beetle with a length of 22–29 mm. As a member of the ducale group of Mecodema species, the pronotumcarina is strongly crenulated and outer striae are coarsely punctured with star-shaped asetose punctures. These punctures are irregularly placed and deeper in the outer striae. A distinguishing character of M. crenicolle from its sister species, M. crenaticolle is that the punctures in elytral stria 7 are larger than stria 8 and cannot be distinguished at the base of the elytra.
M. crenicolle is a burrowing ground beetle that lives in native forests, pine plantations and pastures. Their elevational distribution ranges from lowland to mountainous forests. Like all Mecodema species, M. crenicolle is flightless and a predator of other invertebrates.