Wingspan of 13-17 mm. Forewings are white suffused with grey, brown and ochreous and marked with dark brown, blue-black or blackish markings. A large submarginal ocellus consisting of a metallic centre bar and 6-7 black dashes is present. Hindwings are greyish-brown.
Up to 13 mm long when fully grown. Body creamy white with large brownish pinacula. Head is yellowish-brown and prothoracic plate is yellowish-brown with black markings. Anal plate is pale brown, speckled with black. An anal comb is present.
Ca. 0.7 x 0.6 mm in size, creamy white, developing a purplish-red ring as the embryo develops. Laid singly or in small batches along the veins of leaves and hatch in ca. 10 days.
Primarily chestnut (Castanea), oak (Quercus) and beech (Fagus).
After hatching larvae bore into developing nuts to feed inside. Frass is expelled from the entrance holes. Once nuts drop the larvae exit to pupate under bark or moss.