Wings grey-brown; forewing with light grey base and black basal dot, a pale" dentate band at the border of the light basal area and another in the centre, before the margin a row of dark submarginal dots which are edged with white proximally; hind margin usually red-brown.

Throughout Europe with the exception of the most southern districts, occurring as far as Portugal, Central Italy and Bulgaria, and northward to Sweden and Livonia; Russia (Ural), Armenia, Amurland, Japan.

The moths come to the light ; they rest in day-time closely appressed to tree trunks, the strongly woolly fore legs being held stretched forward as in Dasychira pudibunda Karl Grünberg .

The moth lives in the whole Palearctic realm except the north of Africa; absent in Siberia between Ob' river and Lake Baikal.

In Britain it is more frequent in the southern counties [2] In the first instar the caterpillar feeds entirely on its own egg-shell and is unusual in that it mimics an ant or small spider.

They keep nervously moving around and about this, and if perchance another caterpillar should approach within touch of it, a vigorous attack is made to drive off the intruder.

[4] The general colour is reddish brown and if in its resting position provides perfect cryptic camouflage.

The larvae can grow to a length of 70 mm and if disturbed by a potential predator can put on a menacing display with the thoracic legs splayed out and the head arched back over the body.