The wingspan is 11–15 mm.[2] The forewings are rather broad, dark golden-bronzy; five shining white strigulae on posterior half of costa, three anterior terminating in leaden metallic marks; a thick oblique curved pointed white streak from middle of dorsum, reaching more than half across wing;a leaden-metallic tornal mark, white on margin; three leaden metallic dots on termen; an undefined dark apical spot; dark line of cilia indented below apex; a dark hook above apex. Hindwings are suboblong, grey; cilia in male whitish.The larva is pale ochreous; head dark brown : plate of 2 brownish-ochreous.[3]
Adults are on wing in May. It is a day-flying species.
The larvae feed on Eriophorum species.[4] They feed on the seeds of their host plant, spinning the cotton heads together or to nearby vegetation.
^Meyrick, E., 1895 A Handbook of British Lepidoptera MacMillan, London pdf This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Keys and description
