The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1775.

[1] This moth is a translucent-white colour, patterned with numerous brown, oval rings on the forewings.

[1] It is found in Colombia,[2] Peru and Ecuador.

This is a cloud-forest species found at elevations between about 200–1000 m.[1] Moths of the genus Hypercompe are noxious to birds and exhibit warning colouration.

When approached by a bird, these moths expose a coloured abdomen and exude noxious fluids as a defence mechanism.