This species was named by Edward Meyrick in 1884 as Xeroscopa harpalea.[2] Meyrick gave a description of this species in 1885.[3] In 1913 Meyrick revised the genus of the species to Scoparia,[4] and in 1928 George Vernon Hudson agreed with this revision.[5]John S. Dugdale summarised this taxonomy in his 1988 publication but misspelt the epithet of this species as harpalaea.[6] The wing patterns and male genitalia of holotypes of this species and Scoparia limatula have been examined and have been found to be identical.[7]
Description
The wingspan is about 24 mm. The forewings are white, irrorated with ochreous-grey. The veins are marked with blackish. The hindwings are very pale greyish-ochreous, the postmedian line and apex are grey. Adults have been recorded on wing in January.[3]
^ abMeyrick, E. (1885). "Descriptions of New Zealand Micro-Lepidoptera". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 17: 68–120. Retrieved 28 January 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^Meyrick, E. (1913). "revision of New Zealand Pyralidina". Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 45. Retrieved 28 January 2018.