This species was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1917 and named Mecyna adversa.

[2] In 1988 J. S. Dugdale discussed this species under the name Mnesictena adversa.

[3] However this placement has been brought into doubt by the work of Richard Mally and Matthias Nuss.

There is an irregular transverse outwardly-oblique white discal dot at the middle and a dark, obscurely indicated second line.

The hindwings are yellow with the discal dot and terminal band fuscous.