This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 using material collected at Mount Arthur at an altitude of approximately 1200m in January and named Arcteuthes chrysopeda.

Head, palpi, antennae, thorax, abdomen, and legs black, irrorated with ochreous-yellowish or ochreous-whitish.

Forewings with hindmargin rather obliquely rounded; 6 out of 9, 7 from above or below angle of areole, 11 from or below angle of areole; dark fuscous, or dark ochreous-brown; base some-what irrorated with orange; four orange fasciae, tolerably equidistant; first linear, slightly curved; second narrow, almost straight; third rather narrow, forming a short obtuse angle inwards below middle; fourth subterminal, linear, sometimes interrupted or nearly obsolete, irregularly subdentate; some-times a discal spot partially indicated by fine orange margins: cilia brown, with obscure darker fuscous quadrate spots on basal half, alternating with obscure whitish spots on terminal half.

Under-surface similar to upper, but orange markings broader and lighter; cilia barred throughout with white.

[3] Larvae of New Zealand moths within the genus Notoreas feed exclusively on plants within the genera Pimelea and Kelleria.