 This moth has only be found in Westland in the areas near Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.This species was described by George Hudson in 1925 as "Xanthorhoe glaciata" using material collected by Charles E. Clarke at Mount Moltke in Westland in January at 1700m.Hudson also discussed and illustrated this species under this name in his 1928 publication "The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand".