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

[9] The male lectotype, collected at the Wellington Botanic Garden by Meyrick, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

[2] Gaskin described the egg of this species as follows: Flattened ovoid; no ribs; having a microscopic hexagonal pattern on shell; dimensions 0.32-0.34 X 0.19-0.20 mm.

[8]Gaskin described the larva of this species as follows: The fully grown caterpillar is about three-quarters of an inch long and greyish in colour.

[6]Hudson states that the grey colouration of this moth is protective and helps camouflage it against lichen covered rocks or tree trunks.

[8] However G. parorma has a series of black terminal dots on its forewing which G. elaina lacks and so the two species are able to be distinguished via that characteristic.