Forewing varying from pale greyish ochreous to rufous and dark purple brown, the veins generally pale; upper stigmata distinct and filled up with dark, with distinct pale outlines; inner and outer lines double with paler centres, the inner obliquely outcurved, the outer simply sinuous; submarginal line pale, preceded by a row of dark spots, and on costa by a black blotch or bar; hindwing whitish, suffused with grey, especially in the female, with large grey cellspot and interrupted submarginal band. The type form is dull red without pale veins; the red forms with pale veins are ab. rufa Tutt;the palest form of all is obsoleta Tutt without pale nervures; a somewhat darker, more brownish form, with the veins pale is humilis H. & Wwd.; brunnea Tutt has the ground colour deep redbrown with pale veins; in subjecta Dup. it is dark grey brown, the extreme development of which, agrotoides Guen., is blackish grey; — olivacea Vasq., from Spain, has the forewing pale olive ochreous, and rubra Vasq., also from Spain, has it pale reddish ochreous.