[3] Variations include:[4] This species spans over most of Europe, Siberia, the Russian Far East and Asia Minor.

Lines are whitish, the subbasal ending in a grey-edged black spot on inner margin; the inner is obliquely curved outwards; the outer is angled at vein 6, indented on 4 and angled inwards below vein 2, running upwards and outwards below reniform, then downwards again parallel to its former course, and finally running in to the inner line above inner margin.

Orbicular stigma is a round black spot with grey outline; reniform large and black, edged externally by a white bar, which often emits a narrow pale line externally from its middle subterminal line sinuous, double, somewhat lunulate, with dark centre and pale-scaled edges, except at costa where it is single and white, preceded by oblong black spots separated by the pale veins.

[7] The larva feeds on Elymus arenarius, Polygonum aviculare, Lathyrus pratensis, Vicia spp., Calluna vulgaris, Hypericum maculatum, Andromeda polifolia, Galium verum, Melilotus officinalis, Lotus corniculatus and Medicago lupulina.

This pattern resembles the iconic representation of Ursula Southeil, known as Mother Shipton – a sixteenth-century prophetess and witch.