The species was described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775.

It is found in the Pacific, including Hawaii and New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Europe and northern and southern Africa.

Larval food plants are mainly quinolizidine-bearing tribes of Fabaceae, (Ulex europaeus, Genista sp., Sarothamnus sp., Sophoreae sp., Sophora tomentosa, Carmichaeliae and Genisteae).

[1][3] In Hawaii they have been recorded on Acacia koa and Sophora chrysophylla.

[6] This subspecies occurs throughout New Zealand and its larvae feed on the endemic kowhai species as well as introduced tree lupin.