The Common Metarranthis has a wingspan of 1.25 to 1.75 inches (3.2-4.3 cm). The forewing is pointed and both hindwings and forewings have scalloped edges. The ground color is tan to brown shaded to dark brown inside the sharply bent postmedian line on both forewings and hindwings. The caterpillar is cylindrical and colored variously tan, gray, brown or reddish with a hump over abdominal segment 8. It grows to 1.5 inches (3.5 cm).