It is found in the Palearctic realm (Europe, Russia,[1] Armenia, Turkestan, Siberia, Russian Far East, Mongolia, Amur, Korea, Japan, and northeastern China).

Forewing dull dark brown, faintly reddish- tinged; the veins powdered with grey scales; the terminal area beyond subterminal line black-brown, except at apex: median area between subcostal vein and vein 1 somewhat darker than the rest of wing; inner and outer lines indistinctly double: the inner outwardly oblique, the outer bent on vein 5; claviform stigma hardly visible; orbicular stigma oblique, elliptical, of the ground colour, with paler annulus; the reniform white or dull yellow, containing a double dark lunule with pale centre; the outer edge of this dark inner lunule is sometimes obsolete, in which case the stigma appears more solidly yellowish or white; the space between outer and subterminal lines is always slightly, often visibly, paler than the ground colour; hindwing fuscous grey; — in the ab.

albipuncta Tutt is comparatively a rare form, with nearly the whole reniform stigma snow-white; — fibrosa Hbn.

the Japanese form, is, as usual, larger than the European, and the outer line appears rather more strongly excurved beyond cell and incurved below.

Larva blackish-brown; the dorsal and subdorsal lines somewhat paler; thoracic and anal plates blackish; head brown.