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A medium-sized (4.6-6.0 cm wingspan) moth with dark forewings and red and black hindwings. The forewings are a smooth, dark rich chocolate and grey brown with several fine erratic horizontal lines. A narrow patch along the costa at the apex is lighter brown. The hindwings are deep red-orange, almost scarlet, and are crossed by a complete black median line and a wider black terminal band. The basal area is covered with long black hairs, and the fringes are mostly dark. Both the sexes are similar. The antennae are filiform. Ultronia cannot be mistaken for any other Alberta Catocala.

Ultronia occurs throughout much of eastern North America, south to Florida and Texas. It ranges west across the southern parts of Canada to extreme southeast British Columbia. In Alberta, it occurs mainly in dry shrubby woodland edge along the river valleys of the plains, north to Dinosaur Provincial Park.