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The hindwing margin is slightly more scalloped in Hypagyrtis than other similar, mid-sized grey geometrids; it is otherwise difficult to characterize this genus externally without visual comparison to species in the Boarmiini such as Aethalura, Iridopsis and Protoboarmia. This genus is taxonomically very difficult, and there are no reliable genitalic differences; H. unipunctaria occurs in the parkland and southern boreal region in Alberta, while H. piniata is associated only with conifers in the north-central region. H. piniata supposedly lacks the brownish shading in the subterminal area found in H. unipunctaria. Treated as H. subatomaria by McGuffin (1977).

Larvae are mottled grey, and are twig mimics. They overwinter exposed on tree bark and branches, and are important food sources for wintering insectivorous birds in the eastern US (B. Heinrich cited in Wagner et al. 2001). McGuffin (1977) describes the immature stages in detail. Adults come to light

Larvae are generalists on deciduous trees and shrubs. Rosaceous shrubs including Amelanchier, Rosa, and Prunus have been reported as hosts several times, but also Salix, Populus, Alnus, Betula, Corylus, Fraxinus, Tilia, Ulmus, Quercus and Acer (McGuffin 1977).