This species pupates in a silk cocoon on the ground underneath its host plant.

This species was first described in 1989 by Hans Donner and Christopher Wilkinson from specimens collected in the Taupō, Canterbury, Otago and Southland regions as well as at Stewart Island.

The male holotype specimen, collected in Dunedin in November 1920, is held at Te Papa.

It differs from the mine S. fulva as there is no purple discolouration of the leaf in the region of the egg.

Forewing about 3 mm long, speckled brown-grey, with 2 obscure white postmedial areas, one at dorsum, one at costa; fringe grey.

[3] The cocoon is made of brown silk and can be found on the ground under the host plant.