The adult moth of the brown cutworm is a brown and grey with variable pattern. There is usually a silvery grey elongated oval on the forewings with a larger round darker marking below it. It is similar in appearance to the bogong moth which is a more even brown colour and has two pale oval forewing markings of similar color. The caterpillars start of pale and darken as they develop becoming dark brown before they pupate in the soil. Caterpillars with a pink tinge are known as pink cutworm.