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

[8] The female lectotype originating from Mākara is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

[2] Hudson described the larva of this species as follows: Its length, when full-grown, is slightly over 1⁄2 inch, very elongate tapering posteriorly and much flattened above; general colour ochreous with a brown dorsal stripe, indicating the position of the alimentary canal; the head is reddish-brown and very shining; the second segment dull brown and semi-transparent; there is whitish raised lateral ridge and similar intersegmental ridges; the legs and prolegs are very small, ochreous-brown and the whole larva is sparingly clothed with long bristles.

[9] Hudson also described the pupa as follows: The pupa is about 1⁄4 inch long, elongate, pale brown, darker on the back; the very prominent eye-ease and thoracic shield are dark blackish-brown and shining; the antennae extend to the end of the body and the wing-cases are pale ochreous.

Head and thorax ochreous-whitish, sometimes brownish-tinged, hairs of forehead sometimes mixed with dark fuscous.

[4] Adults in the wild are on the wing from September until April but are most commonly observed in December and January.