Wingspan about 13 mm. It can be distinguished from two similar relatives by the white head and blackish thorax.

Most likely to be encountered where the larval foodplants are plentiful. It seems to prefer dry limestone areas in some regions.

This species has two generations, flying in June and again in August.

The larvae, in July and August-April, feed inside flowers and developing seedheads of various Compositae, including Ragwort, Perennial sow-thistle and Hawkbeards (Crepis spp.). Pupation in April-May, and in July, is in a cocoon on the ground among debris.

It is distributed widely in the south of Britain, but becomes scarcer northwards. In the Butterfly Conservation's Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Fairly frequent but not common in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = B (scarce resident or restricted distribution or regular migrant).