[3] It is endemic to New Zealand and is a relatively common species that can be found throughout the country in native forest or scrub habitat, mainly observed in clearings.

The adult moths are on the wing commonly from October to March but have been observed in all months of the year.

This species was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877 as Cidaria beata using a specimen from the collection of J. D.

[12] The male holotype specimen, likely collected at Castle Hill in mid Canterbury, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

[12] Hudson described the egg of this moth as being: about one fiftieth of an inch in length, oval, considerably flattened, with a distinct concavity on each side.

[6] Butler originally described the adults of this species as follows: Above very similar in pattern to the preceding species, but much smaller, and the primaries with all the markings olive-green instead of bronzy brown; the secondaries white instead of yellow, with a pale pinky brown outer border; thorax olive-green; abdomen testaceous : primaries below with the basal area, to the extremity of the dentated central band of the upper surface, madder-brown; costa testaceous, tinted with olivaceous, and crossed by ferruginous bars; disk whitey-brown; apex and outer border shining testaceous, almost golden; a submarginal series of white dots; fringe silvery white, black-spotted; secondaries pale testaceous, increasing in intensity to the outer border, which is golden, crossed by parallel crenate olivaceous lines, three of which form a central band, relieved externally by white lunules; disk crossed by paler olivaceous lines, followed by a submarginal series of white lunules; body below testaceous.

[14] However A. beata has black marks inside the white discal spots on the forewings which A. philpotti lacks.

[15] The larvae of this species are inactive during the day and when threatened mimics a twig dropping to the ground.

[7] Adult moths are most commonly on the wing from October until March but have been observed in all months of the year.