The adult's wingspan is 40–48 mm. The sexes can be distinguished by their antennae, which are strongly feathered in the male, but almost smooth in the female. This moth inhabits woodland, gardens and similar habitat. Either one or two generations occur each year, depending on locality. The adults are on the wing during summer – e.g. June to September on the British Isles, while in the more continental climate of Austria they are rarely seen anymore in late August. They fly at night and are attracted to light.