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A medium-sized (3.8 cm. wingspan) moth with somewhat shining grey forewings and light brown hindwings. Forewings are ash grey, with fine black indistinct lines and a pale green stigma. Hindwings are buff-brown with a wide contrasting smoky brown terminal band. Selecta are very similar to the much more common S. viridisigma, but on the average, a bit smaller and paler and the hindwings are paler so that the contrast with the dark terminal band is more pronounced. However, these differences may be subtle, and the genitalia in both sexes should be examined for positive identifications. In selecta males, the valve is tapered toward the apex, the clasper is large and triangular and extends to the dorsal margin of the valve and the vesica has a single cornutus. In males of viridisigma, the valve is broad and rounded toward the apex, the clasper is small and fingerlike and extends less than one-half the distance across the valve and the vesica has two cornuti. Females of viridsigma, lack a process on the ostium bursae, whereas females of selecta have a heavily sclerotized caudal process on the ostium bursae, visible without dissection. The antennae are simple and both the sexes are similar. Much of the historical published data for selecta actually refers to viridisigma.

Unknown. In a laboratory setting larvae accepted blueberry (Vaccinium), willow (Salix) and birch (Betula), and refused spruce and other conifers (Lafontaine and Poole, 1991). Published data is unreliable due to the lumping of the two species until recently.

Newfoundland, north and west to the Mackenzie River Valley in the North West Territories, south to Nova Scotia, northern Michigan and the foothills of Alberta. In Alberta, it has been collected in the foothills west of Calgary and on the north shore of Lake Athabasca.