[2][3][4][5] Caladenia rosella was first formally described in 1988 by Geoffrey Carr from a specimen collected near Hurstbridge and the description was published in Muelleria.

[1][5] The specific epithet (rosella) is the diminutive form of the Latin word rosa meaning "of roses",[6] hence "rose-pink" referring to the colour of the flowers of this orchid.

[5] The rosella spider orchid occurs in areas to the near-north of Melbourne where it grows in woodlands and low forests.

[4] The numbers of the rosella orchid have declined because of habitat loss and fragmentation so that by 2000, only 120 plants in four populations near Melbourne were known.

The main threats to the species are weed invasion, trampling during recreational activities and grazing by rabbits.