Forewing black brown with all markings obscured, or dark red-brown with the markings plainer; the edges of stigmata finely black; some ochreous scales on outside of reniform, along the course of submarginal line and at base below cell; hindwing brownish fuscous, the basal half paler in male. More than 20 aberrations are noted by Tutt, grouped, as usual, according to colouration; — the first two, with ground colour grey, are rare: -ab. pallida Tutt with a reddish tinge, and the lines and stigmata all but obsolete; — and ab. flavopallida Tutt, similar, but with the lines and stigmata yellow; -- the following 5 are pale reddish; — ab. rufa Tutt, with lines and stigmata pale: — ab. ruris Haw. with the markings yellow; — ab. obeliscata Haw. with cell black on each side of the orbicular stigma; — ab. striata Tutt with the base, stigmata, lines, and outer nervules yellow ochreous: — and ab. rufovariegata Tutt mottled red and yellow, the stigmata edged with black: — the next 5 are dark reddish brown; — ab. rubricans Esp. with the lines paler; — ab. rufovilis with stigmata and lines yellow; — ab. quadrata Tutt, like the last, but with a square black blotch between the stigmata, as in ab. obeliscata Haw.; — ab. ochrea Tutt, with faint lines but the stigmata and veins ochreous: — ab. fuscovariegata Tutt, purplish-brown mottled with ochreous and with the dark blotch between the stigmata: - in the next 4 the ground colour is blackish-brown or blackish fuscous, as in typical nigricans L.; — ab. dubia Haw. with lines and stigmata deeper, and with a conspicuous waved submarginal line: — ab. fumida smoky brown with ochreous reniform and yellowish submarginal line; — ab. marshallana sooty brown with dark lines and ochreous stigmata: — ab. ursina God. with lines and stigmata dark, a submarginal row of wedge-shaped spots and the outer edge of reniform stigma whitish; — ab. rustica Er. much smaller than the last, with the markings obsolete; — the last group has the ground colour black; — ab. carbonea Hbn. with lines and stigmata yellowish; — ab. fumata with the upper stigmata pale-edged; — ab fumosa F. with a submarginal row of whitish wedge-shaped spots; — and ab. fuliginea God. wholly black, with the very faintest of markings.
Biology
Larva ochreous grey, paler, more greenish, at sides; lines greenish edged with black: the subspiracular line whitish and double; head with black speckling. The larva is green or brown with two white stripes down each side. It feeds on a range of plants. The species overwinters as an egg.
The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
