[2] The species was first described by Roy A. Harrison in 1955, and is endemic to the Auckland Islands south of New Zealand.

The species was identified by Roy A. Harrison in 1955, based on a specimen collected from Carnley Harbour on Auckland Island by Evan Graham Turbott in October 1944.

Males have finer and longer body hairs relative to females of the same species.

[3] X. turbotti has a brown arista with pubescent rays short than the diameter of the basal segment.

[6][7] The species can be differentiated from X. prima due to the presence of only a single sternopleural.