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A small (approx. 2 cm. wingspan), broad-winged moth, with medium-brown forewings crossed by 4 or 5 jagged dark lines, some partially bordered by white but quite variable among specimens. The hindwings are much paler than and contrast with the forewings. Very similar to and often very difficult to separate from Idia aemula, which is darker and lacks a strong contrast in color between the forewings and hingwings. The lines on the forewings of nr. aemula also tend to be stronger and more sharply defined than those of aemula. Genitalia in both sexes appear indistinguishable from those of aemula. In Handfield 1999 it is treated as Idia concisa.

Across much of the boreal forest of southern Canada, west to southern BC, but the range needs redefining owing to confusing of past published records with those of Idia aemula. In Alberta it occurs throughout the Boreal forest and foothills, north at least to Lake Athabasca. Apparently mostly absent from the Aspen parklands and grasslands regions.