It migrates to central and northern Europe as far north as England, Denmark and Finland.

Forewing: basal two-thirds black brown, with basal patch, costal streak, and reniform stigma fuscous grey; crossed at middle by a pale ochreous band oblique from subcostal and widening downwards, its outer half yellowish; limited externally by a biconcave ochreous band, narrower below, followed below vein 6 by a broad brown band, on the outer edge of which are three or four irregular black patches, and above and beyond it on costa a black blotch, sharply angled externally on vein 6, these black marks forming the inner edge of a diffuse submarginal pale line; terminal area shaded with brown and fuscous, with a short black apical streak and a diffuse dark cloud below the middle; fringe grey with white base, altogether whitish round apex: hindwing olive fuscous, becoming blackish towards termen; a white band from costa at one-third to anal angle, and a round white submarginal spot in submedian fold; fringe brightly white, but grey between veins 2 and 4; the form stupida H.-Sch.

nov. [Warren] the white band is merely a narrow line from cell to inner margin.

Larva reddish yellow, paler on dorsum and along spiracles, marked with fine black longitudinal streaks; dorsal and subdorsal stripes dark grey, the former widening beyond the 5th segment; spiraeular lineline, double: dorsal tubercles large, while ringed with black.

The larvae feed on Paliurus, Rubus, Tribulus, Coriaria and Quercus species.