The typical form (Plate [72], Fig. 6) has pale greyish fore wings, and these are crossed by a black-edged purplish central band. In var. hethlandica, Prout (Fig. 7), the ground colour is ochreous and the band is reddish; this form is frequent in the Shetlands.
The caterpillar is yellowish green, with greyish clouds around white dots, tinged with pink between the rings; three lines along the back, the central one grey inclining to blackish, broken on three of the hinder rings, and edged with whitish; the others are double, wavy, brownish, a whitish stripe bordered above with grey along the area of the spiracles; head, ochreous, dotted with dark brown (adapted from Fenn). It feeds on lady's mantle (Alchemilla), chickweed, groundsel, etc., from September to May.
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| 2 Pl. 72. |
| 1-3. | Water Carpet. | 4, 5. | Large Twin-spot Carpet. | 6, 7. | Red Carpet. |
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| 8-12. | Red Twin-spot Carpet. |
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| 2 Pl. 73. |
| 1. | Beech-green Carpet: caterpillar. |
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| 2. | Striped Twin-spot Carpet: caterpillar. |
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| 3. | Mottled Grey: caterpillar. |
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The moth is out in July and August, and in England is only found in the mountain districts of Yorkshire and the more northern centres. It has been reported from the high-lying district on the border of Cheshire, between Macclesfield and Buxton (Day), and from Llantrissant, Glamorganshire, S. Wales (Evan John). Generally distributed through Scotland and the Isles. Widely spread, but local, and not always common, in Ireland.
Abroad, the range extends to Eastern Siberia, Amurland and North America.
Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (Coremia (Ochyria) unidentaria).