This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in both the North and South Islands.

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1863 using specimens collected in Nelson by Thomas R. Oxley and originally named Cerostoma fulguritella.

[5] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1928 book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand under that name.

The fore-wings are pale brownish-ochreous with the costal area more or less clouded with darker brown; there are several cloudy blackish streaks in the disc, extending from the base to the apex, the lowest of these emitting three blunt projections towards the dorsum; the dorsal area is very pale brownish-ochreous, often almost white; there is a black spot at the apex.The hind-wings are very pale greyish-brown, darker towards the apex.

[8] The larvae of this species have been observed feeding amongst the dead cones of Pinus radiata.