Wingspan 10-16 mm. A fairly plain buff coloured moth, with a pale, rust coloured band forming a 'V' pattern on its back. There is just the hint of a darker band at the wing tips but none of its markings are particularly pronounced.

Occurring in any suitable habitat where the food plant Common Knapweed occurs.

There are two generations with moths on the wing from May to July and again from late August to September.

The larvae feed in the stems below the flower head feeding on the developing seeds, or on young shoots in the second generation.

Widely distributed and fairly frequent, particularly in the southern half of Britain. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as common.

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. L&R Moth Group status = C (very scarce resident or rare migrant)