At rest, the species has a very distinctive profile with tufts of hairs protruding upwards from the thorax and the hind edge of the forewings (this latter feature shared with other prominents).

Distributed from Northern Spain and Central Italy throughout Europe, northward to Scotland and Scandinavia, eastward throughout Siberia to Corea and Japan.

[ aberration] is a dark form with the ground-colour of the forewing red-brown to blackish; it occurs throughout the distribution-area of camelina [ capucina ], being rare in the West, but commoner in Japan.

Fullfed greenish to pale brown-red; on abdominal segment 8 two dark red pointed tubercles.

Pupa dark red-brown, the pointed anal end with several thin spines; at the foot of trees in a cell in the ground.