The wings are gray with some red towards the base. The thorax is black and is crossed with a red band.[1] The wingspan is about 15 millimetres (0.6 in).[2] The caterpillar can retract its head into its prothorax.[1] A yellow band with black spots runs along the caterpillar's dorsum.[1] The pupation usually starts in early June as an elongated cocoon that is whitish or light brown.[3] The pupa is pink or yellowish and is 10 mm (0.4 in) long.[1] The larvae feed upon Prunus spinosa, Crataegus sp., Cotoneaster sp., and other species in the family Rosaceae.[4] The species is a pest on foliage and young fruit.[5] The species shows a very low level of genetic heterogeneity for a lepidopteran species, but it does not affect the species' viability. In the Ice Age, differentiation into two genetic lineages occurred.[6]