This species was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 using material collected at Mount Arthur at an altitude of approximately 1200m in January and named Arcteuthes chrysopeda. Meyrick misspelt the genus, the correct spelling of which is Arctesthes. George Hudson discussed and illustrated this species under the name Lythria chrysopeda in both his 1898 book New Zealand moths and butterflies (Macro-lepidoptera) and his 1928 publication The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand. Robin C. Craw placed this species within the genus Notoreas in 1986. The lectotype specimen is held at the Natural History Museum, London.