The forewings are elongate, bronzy-purple, more or less sprinkled with pale shining golden and there is a narrow slightly curved transverse white dorsal spot before the tornus, reaching about half across the wing; cilia grey Vein 9 is present.

[2] The moth flies from March to April and is the only one of the Eriocraniidae which does not have the distinct golden mottling and a whitish tornal spot; they have purple forewings.

[5] Larvae can be found in April and May, are whitish with a brown head and have papillae (small lumps) on the first thoracic segment which show as blackish spots.

[5] They mine the leaves of birch (Betula species), forming a large, white, full depth blotch which withers and disintegrate by late summer.

[5] The moth is found in Europe; from Great Britain, Ireland and France in the west, north to Scandinavia and east to Russia.