Wings grey-white heavily dusted with dark grey, median area slightly darker and bordered with scalloped, prominent AM and PM lines. Discal spots large. Slightly darker and smaller than the similar Cingilia caternaria. N. freemani is very similar, but lacks the yellow scales at the top of the head of canosaria; the ranges of the two do not overlap, with freemani strictly a foothills/mountain species in Alberta.