In the United States it has been found in Connecticut, Kentucky, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.

[1] The habitat consists of meadows, the edge of forests, open ponderosa pine forests, alpine meadows, the sea shore, and probably other habitats, from sea level to high elevations in the mountains, where suitable hosts occur.

The forewing pattern is very similar to that of Micrurapteryx gradatella, but rather variable: in several specimens, the dark portion of disk has pale-based, dark-tipped scales giving the appearance of pale suffusion.

The white dorsal margin in some specimens is obscured by suffusion of dark-tipped scales and the terminal portion between strigulae 4 and 5 and around the apical spot is rufous in specimens with white costa and margin.

The larvae feed on Lathyrus japonicus, Melilotus albus, Vicia caroliniana, Lupinus and Caragana species.