Wingspan 14-20 mm. A very plain orangey brown moth. The colour varies slightly.

Farmland and along the edges of meadows.

July and August. Normal flight time is from dusk onwards and they are attracted to light.

The larvae feed in the autumn on the seed heads of Perennial Sow-thistle before overwintering in a cocoon.

A relatively uncommon species, though widely distributed in England and Wales. In the Butterfly Conservation’s Microlepidoptera Report 2011 this species was classified as local.

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