Adults:
The adult looper is a mottled, grayish-brown and has a wing span of 1/2 inch. It has a small silvery-white figure 8 in the middle area of each of the front wings. The forewings have two shades of grey and blackish zig-zag stripes. The hind wings are a pale brown. Arising from behind the back of the moth's head is a tuft of hair.

Eggs:
The eggs are normally laid on the underside of the lowest leaves and are round, ridged, white, and approximately the size of a pinhead.

Larvae:
Looper arvae hatch 3 to 6 days after eggs are laid. They feed for 2 to 4 weeks and pass through five instars. Older larvae are light green with a white stripe along each side of the body and two white stripes along the back. First instar larvae have a black head capsule, but by the second instar, this is lost and the head capsule remains green. Mature larvae are approximately 1-1/2 inches. The body tapers to the head and contains three pairs of slender legs near the head. There are also three pairs of thick prolegs at the hind end of the caterpillar. No legs exist in the median area of the looper. This region generally humps when the insect moves and causes a "looping" movement.

Pupae:
Young pupae are a light greenish color and gradually turn dark brown when mature. They are 3/4 inch long and wrapped in a delicate cocoon of white tangled threads. Pupae are usully found on the underside of lower leaves.