[2] It is endemic to New Zealand and is found in the southern parts of the South Island.

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1905 using specimens collected from Ida Valley and named Xanthorhoe recta.

Forewings moderate, greyish-ochreous, irregularly suffused with reddish especially towards costa, markings brownish; first line before 1⁄3, curved, anteriorly edged with grey; median bandformed of three or four thin lines with narrow spaces of ground-colour between; the first of these is almost straight and rather darker than the others; the posterior edge of the last one is irregular with two strong projections below middle; this is followed by a narrow band of pale-greyish, almost white in some examples; a broad band of brown from 4⁄5 of costa to tornus, posteriorly waved and followed by a waved pale line; cilia long, brownish-pink.

Hind wings long, narrow, pale-yellow; a terminal series of indistinct linear brownish spots; cilia pink.

[3][4] The preferred habitat of this species is open tussock grassland in Otago and Southland.