It was described by John O. Westwood in 1848 in his "The Cabinet of Oriental Entomology" as Phryneta margaritifera.

[3] In India, it has been recorded in July 2009 from Pen, and subsequently a specimen collected in July 2018 from Chiplun, forming a new range extension to the Western Ghats and first properly documented collection of a specimen from India.

[3][4] Westwood (1848) describes the specimen as follows:[1] "Diagnosis: Phryneta of a velvety brown colour; the sides of the pronotum with two white lines and the elytra with six large irregular-shaped patches of a pearly white colour; the legs incrassated.

Description: "The entire insect is clothed with a fine velvety pile, with the base of the elytra rather coarsely punctured.

Hope, are smaller than the one figured, and have the sides of the pronotum occupied by a large white oblong patch instead of two lines, as in Mr. Melly's specimen".