I. skelloni is extremely variable in size, in the colour and patterns on the fore and hind wings, length of pectinations on male antennae and even in its genitalia.

Host plants for the larvae are found in the genera Plantago, Senecio and Ranunculus and also include the species Bellis perennis.

[5] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale, in his catalogue of New Zealand Lepidoptera, also believed that Hadena skelloni was a synonym of Graphania insignis.

[2] Butler originally described the species as follows: Primaries above laky-brown; a broad longitudinal internal sap-green streak, through which the submedian vein passes, and which is interrupted near the base by an oblique B-shaped black patch; an oblique abbreviated black dash near the base of interno-median area; discoidal and submedian spots bordered with pale green edged with black; discoidal area dark brown, "orbicular" spot of the same colour, slightly oblique and almost reniform; "reniform" spot pale laky-brown with a curved blackish internal stripe; submedian spot obtusely hexagonal, laky-brown; the two central lines slender, black, opposed, dentate-sinuate, not distinctly traceable above the median vein; submedian line black, with white inner border bounded within by sap-green and dark brown spots or patches, irregularly dentated as in H. pisi; the usual costal markings; secondaries pinky-brown, with diffused dusky border, enclosing an ill-defined abbreviated sinuated whitish streak; abdominal border broadly fringed with pinky-whitish; fringe of outer margin narrow, yellowish, tipped with dark brown, body rufous-brown, varied with pale greenish and whity-brown scales; collar with the usual bisinuated blackish line; wings below pale sericeous pinky-brown, with blackish discocellular spots and a brown discal line; primaries with a pale submarginal line; secondaries with an indistinct greyish submarginal streak; body below dull laky-brown, pectus slightly greyish, venter with a lateral black line.

[3]This species as reinstated by Hoare is extremely variable in size, colour and patterns on the fore and hind wings, length of pectinations on male antennae and even genitalia.

[2] All forms of this species can be distinguished from I. insignis visually as the male I. skelloni have longer pectinations on their antennae, the black markings on the subdorsal portion of the forewings are shorter and broader in appearance and there are differences between the two species in the male genitalia.

[2] George Hudson records it being present in Hastings but Hoare states that this requires further investigate.