The adult moths are on the wing from September to May and July, and are attracted both to light and sugar traps.They are a faster-flying species and remain active even during windy conditions.

[6] In 1911 William Warren believing he was describing a new species named it Cucullia cellulata.

B. Hoare undertook a revision of New Zealand Noctuinae and placed this species within the Physetica genus.

[8] The larvae of this species are up to 33mm in length and are grey coloured with the dorsal having a pink shade.

The larvae have a black and white sub-dorsal line as well as a broad whiteish lateral band.

[1] Hudson described the adult moth of the species as follows: The expansion of the wings is about 1+1⁄2 inches.

The fore-wings are pale silvery-grey; there are several obscure blackish marks near the base, two dark, shaded, transverse bands, one just before the orbicular, and one between the orbicular and the reniform; the orbicular is round, nearly white, with a faint greyish ring in the middle; the reniform is large, oblong, margined first with white and then with black; there is a series of black crescentic marks near the termen, and another smaller series on the termen; the cilia are dark grey.