This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1901 using a female specimen collected at West Plains, Invercargill by Alfred Philpott, and named Strepsicrates emplasta.

The fore-wings are shining white; several dark brown strigulae on costa near base; a very large, irregular, shining chocolate-brown patch on costa near middle, almost reaching apex; several fine strigulae beyond this; a smaller brown patch on dorsum at about 1⁄3; many faint pale brown marks, especially towards dorsum and termen; cilia brownish-grey with a broken white basal line and blackish-brown spot at apex.

Hind-wings and cilia pale brownish-grey, darker towards apex; veins 3 and 4 coincident.

[6]This species has been confused with the similar appearing Holocola zopherana however H. emplasta can be distinguished as it is slightly larger and has a large blackish-fuscous patch on the middle third of the forewing costa.

[1] As well as the type locality of West Plains, Invercargill, this species has been observed in the Canterbury and Nelson regions.