It is found in Europe and east across the Palearctic to Siberia, Mongolia, and northern China.

Forewing rufous, dusted with grey whitish; the rufous tint clearer along the two folds; the costa and veins dotted grey and ochreous; orbicular and reniform of the ground colour with pale outlines, the orbicular round or elliptical, the lower lobe of reniform dark; outer line indicated by a curved row of dark pale-tipped spots on veins; hindwing pale greyish luteous; the form hellmanni Ev., by which name the insect has hitherto been known, is sandy ochreous, dusted with darker, with very little or no red tinge; ab.

nov. (49 f), has the grey dusting very strong, the dots of outer line obsolete, and the veins dark.

Larva bone colour, dorsally tinged with red, whiter below; the spiracles black; head glossy, yellowish brown; thoracic and anal plates paler.

The larvae feed low down in the stems of Calamagrostis epigejos in marshy districts; pupating in a slight cocoon in the ground.