The female is a little larger than the male with the basal region of the wing a paler shade.

This species resembles the brown Arctic (Oeneis chryxus) but the latter has a single eyespot on its hindwing.

The males congregate on hilltops, screes and rocky places in tundra regions and the females fly to join them.

After mating, the females return to wet boggy land where they deposit their eggs on or near their host plants which are believed to be grasses, (Poa species).

Little is known of the development of the larvae, but it is assumed that they overwinter twice before maturing as the butterflies are locally abundant only in alternate years.