It was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1885 using a male specimen collected at Porter's Pass, Castle Hill by J. D. Enys and named Platyptilia heliastis.

[4] In 1928 George Hudson discussing and illustrating this species in his 1928 publication The butterflies and moths of New Zealand using this name.

Head, palpi, antennas, thorax, abdomen and legs reddish-fuscous, somewhat mixed with whitish, posterior tarsi white.

Forewings light brownish-ochreous, suffused with reddish-fuscous towards base and inner margin, and less strongly on hindmargin, and slightly strewn with whitish in disc; costa suffusedly ochreous-whitish towards 3⁄4, towards base suffused with dark fuscous and obscurely spotted with whitish; a dark fuscous dot before and below cleft : cilia dark reddish-fuscous, on costa whitish-ochreous.

Hindwings and cilia light grey, slightly reddish-tinged, lower margin of third segment fringed with coarse black scales from base to 3⁄4.