It is distributed throughout the whole of Europe except Scandinavia; in Armenia, Asia Minor, and east across the Palearctic to the Altai Mountains and western Siberia.It was introduced to Newfoundland.

nov. [Warren] the grey ground is duller and paler in both wings, and the black in lower lobe of reniform is much reduced.

The Asian sister species Agrochola plumbea (Wiltshire, 1941) can only be distinguished by means of a genital morphological examination.

A. lota is mainly found in humid habitats such as shores, floodplains, clearings, bogs and wet meadows.

The young caterpillars feed on the catkins of sallow and willow (Salix),[2] progressing to eating leaves when mature.