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A smaller moth having a wingspan of around 20 mm. The forewings above are quite pretty, being sulphur yellow with a light purplish Y overlaid with lead colored scales. The hind wings are off white in color, slightly tinged with yellow on the outer margin. The projecting labial palps are characteristic of the Pyralidae sens lat. Described by Charles Henry Fernald (1838-1921), Professor of Zoology at Massachusetts Agricultural College, in 1888 as Botis plumbosignalis on the basis of Colorado material.

A western North American species known from Alberta and British Columbia in the north to Arizona in the south. Clifford Ferris (pers. com.) has specimens in his collection from Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. In Alberta, it was first reported (from the Red Deer and Edmonton areas) by Bowman (1951), next by Pohl et al. (2006) from the Lac La Biche area. Also known in the province from the Foothills Forest, lower areas in the mountains and the southern part of the Boreal Forest.