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A relatively large Euxoa (4.1-4.3 cm wingspan) with light brown or grey-brown forewings with obscure markings. The transverse lines are very faintly marked, with the veins distad of the postmedian line lightly lined with dark scales. The reniform is a diffuse patch of grey scales, partially narrowly outlined by dark scales, mainly on the side adjacent to the orbicular. The orbicular is oval shaped but drawn to a point toward the reniform. It has a thin dark border and is filled with the same color forewing ground. The terminal line is a series of small dark triangles, and the fringe is concolorous with the rest of the wing. The hind wings are light smoky brown, darker toward the margin and in females. The genitalia are very distinct, with a prominent cornutus near the base and long, heavy symmetrical saccular extensions that curl around the ends of the valves. Similar brown Euxoa i.e. E. messoria differ in lacking the black basal dash and in having a doubled postmedian line (single in choris), as well as genitalic differences. E. choris belongs to the choris group in the subgenus Euxoa. Keys to the subgenera, species groups and species are provided in Lafontaine, 1987.

Southwestern Saskatchewan, central Alberta and south-central Yukon, south to New Mexico, Arizona and California. In Alberta it has been collected from the Milk and Red Deer River valleys east to the Empress area, north to the southern boreal forest at Edmonton and in the mountains at Jasper.