 This species was discovered by Thomas Hall, a sheep musterer on Pitt Island in the Chathams, who collected numerous specimens of undescribed species for Broun.Despite being described from Pitt Island, it has not been seen there since Hall discovered it, probably because its host plant there has been almost wiped out by sheep.It is one of four "Hadramphus" weevil species, all endemic to New Zealand, specialised, flightless, and rare.