Adult moth: Forewings white with brownish streaks all over and yellowish steak along the anterior margin; hindwings white with black markings and yellow band on head; Larvae : Reddish brown with black bands on either end having long reddish brown hairs all over the body, grows up to 5 cm long.

Egg (600-700) creamy or bright yellow coloured, laid in groups on undersurface of the leaves. Larvae hatch in 2-3 days and feed for 40- 50 days, grown up larvae burrow into moist soil and pupate in earthen cells at a depth of 10-20 cm. Pupa undergo diapause in the soil till next year.

Devastating pest of rain-fed ground nut crop, also feeding on sorghum, cotton, castor,finger-millet etc. Larvae feed gregariously by scraping the under surface of tender leaflets leaving the upper epidermal layer intact.