Common in gardens, hedgerows, roadside verges, woodland edges and scrubby grassland throughout the British Isles; common and well distributed in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. Wingspan 33-38 mm. The main confusion species is
Spinach E. mellinata, with which it shares distinctive resting posture, but central band usually concolorous with forewing, and fringes of forewing plain, not chequered as in Spinach
E. mellinata. Larva feeds on Cleavers and various bedstraws, over-wintering as an egg.