The wingspan is 27–36 mm. Forewing olive grey brown or olive ochreous, clouded with darker; claviform stigma large, dark; orbicular and reniform with brown centres and white rings outlined with black; some black toothlike marks before submarginal line; hindwing dirty grey, darker towards termen; the veins dark. This darker form is the usual one throughout Europe; but is replaced in Britain by ochracea Haw. which is pale ochraceous with slightly darker markings; examples with an actually white ground colour are found on the chalk of the South of England, ab. pallida Tutt on the other hand, the darkest forms of ochracea Haw., with few markings but uniform in coloration, are known as brunnea Tutt.[1]
Adults are on wing from February to May in one generation in Israel. In Europe flying from April to June, depending on the microclimate of the habitat locality bivoltine, flying from April to June and from August to September.
Larva
Larva pale putty colour, with the lines indistinct. The larvae feed on the flowers and seeds of Dianthus and campion (Silene) species. Other recorded food plants include sticky catchfly (Viscaria vulgaris).[2] The larvae pupates just below the surface in a fragile cocoon
^Seitz, A. Ed., 1914 Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 3: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen eulenartigen Nachtfalter, 1914
