This error was corrected in 1988 with the New Zealand raspberry budmoth giving its own species name Heterocrossa rubophaga.

H. adreptella is endemic to New Zealand and has been collected in the Wellington Botanic Garden and been observed resting on mānuka branches.

This species was first described by Francis Walker in 1864 and originally named Gelechia adreptella.

[2] In papers published in 1882 and 1883, Edward Meyrick misinterpreted Walker's type material and as a result Heterorcrossa adreptella was long considered the New Zealand raspberry budmoth.

[5][6] The New Zealand raspberry moth is in fact a different species from H. adreptella and is now known as Heterocrossa rubophaga.

[2] In 1928 George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his book The butterflies and moths of New Zealand under the name Carposina charaxias.

[2] Hudson described the larva of this species as follows: Length when fully extended about 3⁄4 inch (18 mm.).

[4]Hudson described the adult this species as follows: The expansion of the wings is slightly over 1⁄2 inch.

The fore-wings are rather elongate, oblong, with the termen very oblique and slightly waved, white densely speckled with brownish grey; a small black spot is situated on the costa near the base; a minute black dot on the dorsum near the base; seven small brown spots on the costa; a short oblique black bar in the disc before J, parallel to the termen; there are several scattered black dots or short marks preceding the tufts; an angulated series of sub-terminal dots obsolete at extremities and a series of very indistinct terminal dots.

[7]This species can be distinguished from H. rubophaga as the hindwing anal area of adult specimens of H. adreptella have broad, yellowish scales present.