This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1912 using a specimen collected in December by Alfred Philpott at Blue Cliffs, Te Waewae Bay in Fiordland.

with long bronzy-ochreous hairs, beneath which is a white bent stripe on each side of back.

Forewings elongate-ovate, costa moderately arched, apex obtuse, termen very obliquely rounded; yellow; dorsum suffused with ferruginous-brown, with a few black scales on edge; four golden-whitish streaks from costa between base and f converging towards posterior half of dorsum, first edged posteriorly with ferruginous-brown mixed with indigo-black, hardly reaching dorsum, other three margined on both sides with ferruginous-brown streaks and on costa with black, second and fourth reaching dorsum, third reaching about half across wing; posterior area ferruginous-brownish somewhat mixed with pale yellowish, with an irregular black dot in disc at 3⁄4, and four black dots on costa edged beneath with golden-whitish; a thick black streak lying along termen from near apex to tornus, edged with ochreous-yellowish and interrupted to form a long upper and short lower portion, upper portion including two golden-metallic terminal dots : cilia light ochreous-yellowish, with a violet-coppery basal line edged externally with grey.

[1] In comparison to other species in the Sabatinca genus the forewing pattern of S. calliarcha is more complex and variable.

[1] Adult moths have been seen resting on algae covered stones where its wing colouration ensures it is well camouflaged.

[4] Like other species in the genus Sabatinca the larvae of S. calliarcha likely feed on foliose liverworts.