It flies at night in July and August  and is attracted to light, especially the males.

Larva black, with sparse black grey hairs, a brick-red divided longitudinal dorsal stripe, white lateral stripes and black head, segment 1 black streaked with yellow, the tubercles on segments 4 and 11 also black.
It usually feeds on trees and shrubs such as alder, apple, birch, blackcurrant, blackthorn, cherry, chestnut, hawthorn, oak, rowan and sallow.
It has also been recorded on monkshood, which is a herbaceous plant.
This species overwinters as a larva.
The larvae disperse soon after emerging from the eggs, which are covered with the anal wool of the female, hibernate singly and pupate at the beginning of June.
Pupa blackish brown in a whitish cocoon.
It is common everywhere in the distribution area, but not in such numbers as the very similar Euproctis chrysorrhoea, and not noxious.
The moth comes to the light and when at rest folds the wings very steeply in roof-shape; when touched it feigns death, lying on its side with the wings closed.
It flies at night in July and August  and is attracted to light, especially the males.
Larva black, with sparse black grey hairs, a brick-red divided longitudinal dorsal stripe, white lateral stripes and black head, segment 1 black streaked with yellow, the tubercles on segments 4 and 11 also black. It usually feeds on trees and shrubs such as alder, apple, birch, blackcurrant, blackthorn, cherry, chestnut, hawthorn, oak, rowan and sallow. It has also been recorded on monkshood, which is a herbaceous plant. This species overwinters as a larva. The larvae disperse soon after emerging from the eggs, which are covered with the anal wool of the female, hibernate singly and pupate at the beginning of June. Pupa blackish brown in a whitish cocoon. It is common everywhere in the distribution area, but not in such numbers as the very similar Euproctis chrysorrhoea, and not noxious. The moth comes to the light and when at rest folds the wings very steeply in roof-shape; when touched it feigns death, lying on its side with the wings closed.
Yellow-tail