[2] The protologue (species description) of Phalaena perspicaria by Fabricius is in Entomologia systematica emandata et aucta.

Supplementum Entomologiae Systematicae 1798; page 449,[3] where it says (in Latin): P. pectinicornis alis angulatis obscure cinereis: puncto medio strigisque duabus punctorum nigrorum.

Alae omnes supra puncto medio strigisque duabus posticis a punctis minutis, atris.

Subtus pallidiores puncto medio strigisque unica atris.At the Global Lepidoptera Names Index, P. perspicaria is suspected to be a senior synonym of Phalacra vidhisaria Walker;[4] in that case the name perspicaria is older and has a preference.

The type location is the town of Tharangambadi on the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu, India.