[3] It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the South Island at Arthur's Pass, in Fiordland and in Southland.

This species was first described by Charles Edwin Clarke in 1926 and originally named Carposina sanctimonea.

[4][2] When describing this species, Clarke used three specimens collected at Arthur's Pass in January 1923 at an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,100 m).

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

Forewings elongate, posteriorly somewhat dilated, costa gently arched, apex bluntly acute, termen almost straight, oblique; pale grey-white with cloudy markings of dark fuscous; from base along costa a few scattered dark scales widening at about 3/1 to a cloudy diffusion and tapering again to apex; from near base at middle a dark line, widest at about middle of disc where it ends but is almost connected with the dark diffusion from costa; a row of several black dots from near base on costal side of this, and another dot nearer to costa at about ⅕; a black dot near anal angle; a blackish irroration with several dark spots subterminally and blackish along termen: cilia pale grey mixed with fuscous near apex.