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A medium-sized (2.8-3.4 cm wingspan) grey moth with black and white markings. The forewings have a short black basal dash, bordered on the upper side with a pale line that usually meets the lower antemedian line and joins it to form a curved doubled loop to the lower margin. The orbicular and reniform spots are large and filled with pale scales, and the area between the two spots is usually filled with darker scales. The postmedian line is sinuous and made up of a series of pale crescents between the veins, bordered on the lower end with dark scales basad and pale scales distad. The fringes are grey, lightly checkered with pale scales marking the veins. Hindwings are grey, lighter towards the base, and the fringes are not checkered. The antennae are simple, and sexes are alike. The overall color of specimens ranges from almost black to pale pearl grey, with paler specimens ("jocasta") in drier habitats and darker ones in more mesic ones.

Boreal America, from Newfoundland west to Yukon, Alaska and Vancouver Island; south to at least Montana. In Alberta it is found throughout the southern Boreal forest, foothills and lower elevations in the mountains, as well as in parts of the aspen parklands. Populations from MB west have been named subspecies albertina.