Its westernmost population from the semiarid Colorado Plateau region is rather distinct and was once considered a separate species, but is now regarded as a well-marked subspecies C. n. euphemia.

The forewings are brownish gray above, evenly dark from base to tip or with the center somewhat darker, and varying geographically between somewhat paler and browner in the aridland population and darker gray marked with brown in the eastern individuals (see Gloger's rule).

The border of the black bands with the fairly narrow area of orange between them is not even, but has some deep and irregular scallops.

[1] This population, occurring in Arizona and New Mexico, differs visually from bride moths as originally described, and was for many decades held to be a distinct species.

[1] They often are paler than C. n. euphemia if anything; however, except in lightness they resemble C. n. neogama even more strongly, and they do not form a geographically separate and distinct population.

They are thus today treated as a pale local form of the nominate subspecies, with no formal taxonomic standing.