This moth is similar in appearance to two other species in the genus but can be distinguished through the colour and size of its forewings.

This species was first described by Edward Meyrick in 1887 from specimens collected at Lake Guyon and Akaroa and named Mamestra agorastis.

[2][3] The male lectotype specimen, collected by Richard William Fereday at Lake Guyon, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

[3][4] In 1988 John S. Dugdale, in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera, placed this species within the Graphania genus.

[3] In 2019 Robert Hoare undertook a major review of New Zealand Noctuidae species.

Antennae fuscous, in male with rather short strongly ciliated pectinations.

Forewings moderately dilated, costa almost straight, apex obtuse, hindmargin waved, obliquely rounded; rather dark reddish-fuscous, lines greyish-tinged, edged with dark reddish-fuscous, tolerably defined; claviform small, obscure, greyish; orbicular and reniform dark grey, margined with white and then with dark reddish-fuscous, orbicular round, reniform oblong : a tolerably distinct median shade; subterminal whitish-ochreous, obscure, waved; a hind-marginal series of black lunules : cilia reddish-fuscous.