It is found in most of the Palearctic realm from Ireland east, through to Russia, Siberia, the Altai Mountains and the Amur region, and is also present in the Mediterranean Basin.

Forewing greyish ochreous, with olive-fuscous shading varied with whitish; stigmata large, outlined in black; claviform elongate, orbicular and reniform with fuscous centres in a pale ring; orbicular small, often conjoined to reniform; submarginal line preceded by black dentations; hindwing white, with brownish veins and margin; the female always darker, with the hindwing wholly brownish.

is pale reddish ochreous; the forms in which the markings are more or less obsolete differ similarly in colouration; — thus ab.

It has a fine, dark, double dorsal line and pale, enclosed with darker colour lateral stripes.

The pupa is reddish-brown, the pointed cremaster has two close thorns The larvae feed on Galium and Stellaria species.