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A medium-sized moth (wingspan approx. 3.5 cm with dark grey-black forewings with a wide contrasting pale grey or dirty white subterminal band, palest near the lower margin and with well-developed W-mark inwardly marked with 2-3 small black wedges. Basal area, reniform, orbicular and claviform spots large and paler grey than ground. Hindwings grey-brown, darker along the veins and on outer half. Antennae simple. Sexes similar. Male genitalia separated from other Papestra by the clavus noticeably protruding on at least one of the valves; female by the rectangular 7th sternite with little or no notch. Other Papestra are black, grey and white and lack the brown shades of quadrata.

Larvae are solitary feeders on a wide range of trees and shrubs with willows, Buffaloberry (Shepherdia sp.), alder, Trembling aspen, Alpine larch, Lodgepole pine, Jack pine, Douglas fir, gooseberry, and Englemann spruce all reported (Prentice, 1963).