July to September. Ireland, southern England, coastal Scotland and Ireland. A small moth of varying shades of brown. Often found on open grassland like chalk downland, sand-dunes, gardens.

The moth varies considerably, from pale cream to dark brown with diverse markings, often with a central cross bar.  It can be confused with the Rosy Minor, Middle-barred Minor and Least Minor, but the Cloaked Minor is generally more slender with narrower forewing. Males fly close to the ground late in the day. More frequently seen after dark.

The adult males can be seen flying low over the ground around sunset. They are attracted to light. The caterpillars can be found from August to early the following June feeding inside the stems of the foodplant.