This species was described by Alfred Philpott in 1928 using specimens collected in March at Flora River, in Kahurangi National Park, and in Nelson.

Head and thorax ochreous-white mixed with drab, sides of face black.

Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, termen rounded, oblique; whitish-ochreous densely irrorated with brownish-ochreous and strigulated with fuscous; costa with black spot at base; costal edge dotted with blackish-fuscous throughout; first discal a blackish dot ringed with whitish; other stigmata obscure or absent; termen margined with blackish-fuscous: fringes ochreous with median fuscous line.

Hindwings fuscous-grey: fringes ochreous with obscure dark basal shade.

[4] This species has been collected at its type locality of Flora River, in Nelson, at Arthur's Pass, at Price's Valley Bush at Banks Peninsular and at Aoraki / Mount Cook.