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A relatively small (approx. 2.6 cm wingspan) broad-winged mottled grey moth. Very closely related to and difficult to separate from X. ramaria, X. macdunnoughi, X. iduata and others in the species-group. The median band of lagganata is more even, both in width and in even-ness of the dark scaling than most other species in this species-group. Specimens should be dissected or at least have the genitalia examined for positive identification. Male are antennae strongly bipectinate; pectinations about 1.5x width of shaft at widest point.

Known only from the mountains from southwestern BC to southwestern AB (TL: Laggan [Lake Louise], AB), in open wooded habitats. In Alberta it has been collected at the Lake Louise type locality and more commonly at Nordegg. Found in coniferous forest.

In Alberta this taxon has previously been misidentified as either X. dodata or X. incursata lagganata. However one of Bowman's Nordegg specimens is labeled by Bowman as identified as X. lagganata by L.W. Swett. Recent work on Xanthorhoe in the Palaearctic (Choi 2003; Beljaev & Vasilenko 2000) has shown that North American lagganata, until recently treated as a ssp. of Palaearctic incursata, is not conspecific with ,i>incursata Hubner.