The species has a wingspan of 30–35 mm. Its distinctive outline is familiar at lighted windows. The wings are buff or cream with dark fasciae (bands). Two main forms exist, equally abundant: one has darker shading between the central fasciae, the other (designated ab. remutata) has not. The ground colour of the wings is whitish yellow to ochre. Some specimens have a red-orange colouring. The pattern elements are dark brown and clearly shown. On the
forewings there are three crosslines; on the hindwings there are two crosslines. The outer cross line has a significant outward angle near the costa. The area between the middle and outer cross line is dark brown. The discal flecks are small and inconspicuous, they may also be missing. Small marginal dots lie at the outer edge and can make almost a narrow marginal line. See also Prout and Hausmann
The larva is moderately stout, tapering anteriorly
and somewhat flattened, with a projecting and puckered lateral ridge The head small and reddish brown thickly dusted with black. The body is rugose, the skin transversely folded and dull brown. The posterior four segments are paler, tinged with ochreous. The dorsal line is whitish, indistinct, on the thorax and last four abdominals with a dark bordering, on the intermediate segments accompanied by brown V-shaped markings, There are one
or two white dorsal spots and the
subdorsal line s indistinct. The lateral line is whitish ochreous its underside dark, with a blunt pale wedge-shaped blotch on each segment, containing two brown lines, and followed by a smaller one in which is a grey V. The pupa is smooth but not glossy, rather blunt anteriorly; pale reddish brown, darker dorsally and at the segmental incisions, wings greenish, cremaster dark brown.
