This species likely has two broods a year with one emerging in late spring and other in summer.

This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1918 using a specimen collected at Tisbury in Invercargill and named Orthenches polita.

[4][2] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand.

Forewings rather long, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, termen rounded, oblique : shining brassy with cupreous reflections; a large white oviform spot in middle near base; a broad white striga from dorsum at middle reaching half across wing; an irregular white blotch above tornus; a streak of purplish-violet from beneath basal spot along fold to tornus, attenuated at extremities and interrupted at median fascia and before tornus; a similarly coloured but more obscure streak from above median fascia to tornal blotch : cilia grey, darker round apex.

[4]This species is small with a brassy ground colour to its forewings and frequently has a grey head.