[6] This species was first described by Edward Doubleday in Ernst Dieffenbach's book Travels in New Zealand: with contributions to the geography, geology, botany and natural history of the country and named Margaritia flavidalis.

[1] The male holotype specimen, collected in Auckland by A. Sinclair, is held at the Natural History Museum, London.

[2] Doubleday described this species as follows: All the wings ochraceous, the outer margins with a series of minute dots.

Anterior wings with a faint striga near the base, a still fainter one near the middle, and a more distinct much-waved one near the outer margin, and two discoidal stigmatiform spots fuscous.

Posterior wings with a discoidal spot, preceded towards the anterior margin by a smaller one, a transverse striga beyond the middle, and the anal angle fuscous.