Protobathra erista is a moth in the family Autostichidae.

The forewings are fuscous, more or less irrorated (sprinkled) suffusedly with dark fuscous and with cloudy dark fuscous 8-shaped spots in the disk before and beyond the middle representing the stigmata.

In one specimen, the discal area all round these is wholly suffused with white, extending broadly to the costa and the dorsum beyond the middle, and there is a patch of white suffusion towards the basal portion of the dorsum, and an irregular suffused white subterminal fascia, in the other specimen these white areas are only indicated by some irregular white irroration.

The hindwings are fuscous, paler anteriorly.

This article on a moth of the subfamily Autostichinae is a stub.