The wingspan is 28–36 mm. "
Forewing with basal area grey, outer area red-brown; the lines and stigmata grey; hindwing dull grey with a dark lunule and transverse line and the fringe reddish; as a rule the male is paler than the female; a very variable species alike in colour and plainness of markings; ab.
congener Hbn.
is wholly red-brown with the stigmata yellowish; -ab.
subrufa Haw.
is distinguished by having the cell dark at base and between the stigmata; — ab.
conflua H.-S. nec Tr.
has the ground colour reddish ochreous mottled with darker; — ab.
mendica F. is like the last but shows black or dark brown spaces in the cell; — ab.
ignicola H.-Sch.
has the ground colour yellowish ochreous, with the markings distinct; — primulae Esp.
is the same form but with the cell filled in with blackish; — ab.
ochrea-virgata Tutt is a banded form, the whole space between the median and subterminal line being darker; — ab.
grisea Tutt is a small dark grey form, the stigmata clear; — ab.
coerulea Tutt is of a clear slaty or lilac colour with pale stigmata; — lastly, ab.
lamentanda Alph.
is a pale uniformly ochreous form from Siberia and Kamschatka.
subsp.
conflua Tr.
(= thulei Stgr.)is smaller, with narrower, more pointed forewing, reddish brown varied with yellowish; the stigmata large with dark marks in cell; described originally from Iceland and occurring in Shetland and Lapland; — ab.
borealis Zett.
is a grey brown form without any red but with the cell blackish; obsoleta Tutt resembles borealis, but the cell is unicolorous and the markings obscure; - ab.
diducta Zett.
has the forewing grey with a broad rusty-testaceous fascia, and the markings obscured.

The larva is brown with black triangular markings along the side.
It feeds on a wide range of plants (see list below).
The species overwinters as a larva.
The wingspan is 28–36 mm. "Forewing with basal area grey, outer area red-brown; the lines and stigmata grey; hindwing dull grey with a dark lunule and transverse line and the fringe reddish; as a rule the male is paler than the female; a very variable species alike in colour and plainness of markings; ab. congener Hbn. is wholly red-brown with the stigmata yellowish; -ab. subrufa Haw. is distinguished by having the cell dark at base and between the stigmata; — ab. conflua H.-S. nec Tr. has the ground colour reddish ochreous mottled with darker; — ab. mendica F. is like the last but shows black or dark brown spaces in the cell; — ab. ignicola H.-Sch. has the ground colour yellowish ochreous, with the markings distinct; — primulae Esp. is the same form but with the cell filled in with blackish; — ab. ochrea-virgata Tutt is a banded form, the whole space between the median and subterminal line being darker; — ab. grisea Tutt is a small dark grey form, the stigmata clear; — ab. coerulea Tutt is of a clear slaty or lilac colour with pale stigmata; — lastly, ab. lamentanda Alph. is a pale uniformly ochreous form from Siberia and Kamschatka. subsp. conflua Tr. (= thulei Stgr.)is smaller, with narrower, more pointed forewing, reddish brown varied with yellowish; the stigmata large with dark marks in cell; described originally from Iceland and occurring in Shetland and Lapland; — ab. borealis Zett. is a grey brown form without any red but with the cell blackish; obsoleta Tutt resembles borealis, but the cell is unicolorous and the markings obscure; - ab. diducta Zett. has the forewing grey with a broad rusty-testaceous fascia, and the markings obscured.
The larva is brown with black triangular markings along the side. It feeds on a wide range of plants (see list below). The species overwinters as a larva.
Ingrailed clay