Adult moth : 10mm long with 20mm wing-span, brightish-green with silvery abdomen and green forewings. Larvae : 20mm long, spiny body.

Eggs (200-400) laid on flower buds, branches and young leaves, with a preference for hairy parts of the plant. Larvae hatch in 3-4 days and complete their development in about 10-16 days. Adults emerge after a 4-9 day pupation. Several overlapping generations are found in a single year.

A serious pests of cotton and plants of the Malvaecae family such as okra, hollyhock etc. Larvae bore into terminal shoots of young plants, flower buds and young bolls, leading to death of shoots and shedding of flower buds and bolls. Presence of larval frass at the entrance of the bore-hole is a characteristic symptom.