[1] This species occurs from Europe to the East Palearctic realm (northern Asia, China and Japan).

In the British Isles it occurs in England, Wales, and south western[2][3] and southeastern Scotland.

It has a large blackish-brown head and a bluish green body, with a dark line down its back and a yellow stripe along each side.

They are normally laid on cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) but they will occasionally use purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea), false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), tor-grass (B. pinnatum) and wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos).

Larvae also feed on various Poaceae, Phalaris arundinacea, Alopecurus pratensis, Calamagrostis purpurea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Phragmites communis and Elymus caninus.,[3] but also on Festuca, Triticum, Dactylis glomerata, Molinia, Holcus lanatus, Luzula, etc.

On hatching the larvae construct a shelter in the usual skipper method of curling a leaf up with silk and begins to feed.