[4][5] The male holotype specimen, collected by Captain Parry in Wellington, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

[9] Hudson noted that Ipana atronivea "varies considerably in the size and shape of the black markings on the fore-wings, which are often slightly different on the opposite sides, in the same specimen.

"[10] One authority has claimed that Ipana atronivea is the only one of 180,000 Lepidoptera species with asymmetrical patterning: its wings are not mirror images of each other.

[10] They are oval in shape, slightly roughened on their surface and start out green in colour, turning a light blue shade covered with purple spots after approximately a week and then to a light purple colour just prior to hatching.

[7] The host plants of the caterpillars of Ipana atronivea are Araliaceae[3] including Neopanax arboreus[10] and Pseudopanax crassifolius.