This species was first described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1877 using specimens collected by John Enys and named Fidonia enysii.

[1] Butler described the species as follows: Primaries above pale grey, crossed by sandy yellowish, white, and dark grey bars and lines, some of which form an irregular darker central band; outer border broadly dark grey, bounded internally by a lunulated sandy stripe and intersected by a pale line; fringe alternately pale brown and whitish; secondaries bright orange; abdominal area speckled with blackish; a subbasal transverse blackline; outer border dentated, black; fringe alternately brown and whitish; body grey : wings below bright ochreous, crossed by several black lines, much as in the preceding species; outer border black, intersected by a crenated yellow stripe, which in the secondaries unites with the ground-colour at the apex and in the second median interspace; pectus white, venter creamy whitish.

[1] Hudson stated that he collected specimens at the mineral belt on Dun Mountain near Nelson as well as at Mount Hutt.

[7] The host species for the larvae of this moth is unknown but it has been hypothesised that it is likely to be a plant from the family Apiaceae.

[6] This moth is classified under the New Zealand Threat Classification system as being "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon".