It belongs to the subfamily Autostichinae, which is either placed in the concealer moth family (Oecophoridae), or in an expanded Autostichidae.

Like Autosticha, this moth has the second and third forewing vein emerging from a common stalk; unlike in that genus, the labial palps of S. testaceus males are beset with feathery hairs, while the labial palps of the females are inconspicuous and do not taper like those of both sexes of Autosticha.

It was originally described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1881 from specimens collected at Honolulu, Hawaii.

[2] The caterpillar larvae eat all sorts of dry leaves, in which they build silken tunnels.

They have also been recorded on living plants of the looking-glass mangrove (Heritiera littoralis), though the significance of this is unknown.