Wingspan 15 to 22 mm. It is one of the least well-marked of the Cnephasia species, though some individuals are more strongly marked.

The moth frequents chalk downland and rough grassland.

Flying in July and August.

The larvae feed in spun flowers or leaves of a range of herbaceous plants, for example ragwort and buttercup.

Infrequent and local in Britain, occurring mainly in the southern counties of England and South Wales. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

It appears to be uncommon in Leicestershire and Rutland, where there are few records. L&R Moth Group status = D (rare or rarely recorded).