It inhabits both native forest and open habitat and adults emerge during the New Zealand summer.

This species was first described by George Hudson in 1898 using a female specimen collected in January at the tableland of Mount Arthur at 3600 ft and named Melanchra asterope.

[5] In 1971 J. S. Dugdale discussed this species suggesting that it might belong within the Erana group.

The fore-wings are dull brown with a pale area on the dorsum near the base, and a very broad pale band just before the termen; there is a bmken black-edged transverse line near the base, and a fainter transverse line at about one-third; the orbicular is oblong, the claviform crescentic, and the reniform oblong, white, and very conspicuous, all are strongly outlined in black; there is a shaded transverse line on each side of the broad pale terminal band; the termen is dark brown; the cilia are brown, and the veins are marked in black.

[5] This species is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in both the North and South Islands.