This species appears to prefer drier eastern localities and is rarely collected in western North Island forested areas.

The host plant for the larvae of this species is likely to be the golden sand sedge pīngao which is now absent from the moths type locality.

[2] However I. arotis can be distinguished from I. blenheimensis as it has a scale-tuft on the thorax and dark longitudinal stripes on the tegula.

The fore-wings are cream-coloured with the veins darker; there are three faint black dots at about one-third, a curved series of black dots near the termen, the termen itself being strongly shaded with dark greyish-brown; the cilia are dark greyish- brown.

[2] The range of this species covers the Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Dunedin, Otago Lakes, Southland and the Stewart Island regions.

[11] Along with the type locality of Meanee, specimens have also been collected at the Denniston plateau,[12] Blenheim,[3] Dunedin, Lake Wakatipu and Routeburn.

[3][13] The host plant for the larvae of this species is likely to be the golden sand sedge pīngao which is now absent from the moths type locality.

[2] This species has been classified as having the "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" conservation status under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.