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A medium size (approximately 3.6-4.0 cm wingspan) relatively broad-winged moth. Forewings even dark black-brown, unmarked except in most specimens a series of tiny yellowish dots, one at the tip of each tooth of the postmedian line and another near the end of each vein where it meets the wing margin. Hind wing slightly paler sooty brown with a darker discal mark and a black terminal line. Sexes similar. Antennae simple in both sexes. The large size and plain dark brown wings will separate it from other boreal noctuids.

Holarctic. Like most Xestia in the subfamily Pachnobia, atrata is found across the boreal forest of North America, from the northern edge of the New England states and LB west to AK; south in the mountains to CO. Two subspecies occur in eastern Russia. In AB it has been collected sparingly in the boreal forest region from the Fort McMurray region south in the mountains to Banff, in coniferous woodlands.

Atrata is an uncommon moth, and rarely is more than a specimen or two collected at any one locality. Alberta populations belong to the nominate subspecies, and is replaced in extreme northern BC YT and AK by a paler subspecies yukona (McD.). The specimen illustrated above is from the Moths of Canada website.