It has a Palearctic range from Ireland through northern Europe then east to southern Siberia.It colonizes a variety of very different biotopes and occurs in both dry and humid and urban habitats.

The forewing is strongly marked with lines, much mixed with ferruginous ochreous in the distal area or at least in the vicinity of the geminate dark spots, the median band differently shaped, often of a brighter or lighter red (less purplish), never black, the hindwing darker distally than proximally the under surface strongly mixed with ochreous.

Typical spadicearia, including the above-described aberrations, inhabits the greater part of Europe (except some southern localities) and is also found in Siberia (Tunka and Sajan).

- asiatica Stgr., from the Tarbagatai district to Issyk-kul, is a very distinct race or possibly separate species with the ground-colour somewhat yellowish, rather copiously (especially in the distal area) marked with darker yellowish, the basal and median areas of the forewing very dull reddish to blackish, the latter much straighter-edged than in the other forms, the proximal half of the hindwing rather strongly darkened.

They are ochre-coloured, brownish or greenish and show a dark brown dorsal line as well as light, black-brown diamond spots on the middle segments.