This species inhabits native forest and prefers interior rather than edge habitat.

By feeding on flower parts Z. maculata larvae affect the production of seeds of its endangered hosts.

Z. maculata was first described by Alfred Philpott in 1930 using specimens collected at Mount Maungatua, Otago by Charles E. Clarke in December and January.

[3] George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species in his 1939 book A supplement to the butterflies and moths of New Zealand.

[4] The female holotype specimen is held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Forewings long, narrow, parallel-sided, apex blunt-pointed, termen extremely oblique; white, densely mixed with pale dull brown; a clearer white streak along dorsum and partly round termen, much interrupted by dark fuscous marks, a fairly large spot on dorsum at 1/2, connecting with an indistinct oblique fascia from costa at 1/3, and a similar one at tornus; many indistinct dark fuscous dots on apical 1/2, especially on the lower portion; a distinct white spot on costa before apex, followed by a triangular dark fuscous spot; extreme apex whitish: fringes ochreous grey round termen, dark fuscous round apex, with a dividing whitish patch.

[3]Philpott was of the opinion that the white preapical spot on the forewings of this species is a distinguishing feature.

[6] It has also been hypothesised that this species also pupates in leaf litter as a result of predated buds being aborted and falling to the ground.