Turner described the genus in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, writing: Gen. Tanycnema, nov. Frons with a strong anterior tuft of hairs.
Hindwings twice as broad as forewings; 2 from 3/4, 3 from angle, 4 and 5 somewhat approximate at origin, 6 well separated at origin from 5, still more widely from 7, 7 from upper angle, closely approximated to 12 for some distance, but not anastomosing.
The wide separation of 6 from 7 of the hindwings, and the absence of any anastomosis of 7 with 12 are primitive characters; on the other hand the relative approximation of 5 to 4 in the hindwings, and the stalking of 7 and 10 of the forewings are specialised characters, the former being unique in this family, to which the genus must, I think, be referred, though the absence of maxillary palpi (if confirmed), suggests some relationship to the Pterophoridae, but this may be more apparent than real.
Abdomen grey; dorsum of basal segment whitish-grey.
Forewings narrow, elongate, gradually dilating posteriorly, but only to a moderate extent, costa straight to middle, thence sinuate, apex pointed, termen slightly sinuate, slightly oblique; brownish-grey; costa broadly suffused with ochreous-whitish throughout; an ochreous-whitish dot at 2⁄3 on end of cell; a suffused inwardly-oblique, fuscous streak from before apex, cutting across pale costal area, then slightly dentate to about half-way across disc; a whitish subterminal line from apical pale area to vein 3; a similar line precedes terminal edge, which is fuscous, and is itself preceded by an obscure series of fuscous dots; cilia whitish-brown.