Brownish-yellow fore wings with, at their centre, a white spot resembling the shape of the Greek letter gamma. Small and yellowish head, narrow anterior third of the body. During the day, it remains pressed against the underside of the leaves.
Larval development lasts about a month.
The importance of the migrations leads to a geographical distribution of the species which differs considerably from season to season, so there is no distinct development cycle in any given place. A second flight takes place generally at the end of July. Such invasions enable the development of numerous natural enemies of the caterpillar, particularly certain viral diseases whose effect is such that the second generation is almost non-existant. The number of abdominal prolegs is reduced. . Moth Landed on a Chrysanthemum .