The wingspan is 7 - 9 mm. The forewings are black to dark reddish brown with five white crescents along the costal margin and a large crescent at the center of the inner margin. The hindwings are dark gray with long hair-like fringe scales.

The wings are brown mottled with white spots and measure about 12 mm across. High individual variation in wing pattern can make the leek moth difficult to distinguish from other Acrolepiopsis species at first, but its distinct genitalia make it easily identifiable. Males of this species can be identified by their long saccus, a portion of the male genitalia used for grasping females, and females by their long and flat ductus bursae, a portion of the female reproductive tract.