Ichneutica cana

I. cana was first described by George Howes in 1914 from a single male specimen collected in the Garvie Mountains, near Lake Wakatipu in Otago.[2] This species was illustrated and discussed in George Hudson's 1928 book The Butterflies and Moths of New Zealand.[3] John S. Dugdale agreed with the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in 1988.[4] Robert J. B. Hoare also confirmed the placement of this species within the genus Ichneutica in his major review of New Zealand Noctuidae species in 2019.[1]

Howes originally described the species as follows:

Face grey. Palpi blackish at base. Head and thorax grey, frontal area lighter grey. Head and thorax densely clothed with long dark-grey hair. Thorax broad in proportion to length, with a slight posterior crest. Abdomen grey. Forewings grey, with pale grey lines and occasional darker marks. A single light-grey line at base; a jagged grey line about ​¹⁄₅, strongly dentate near dorsum; outwardly suffused with dark grey. Orbicular faintly shown in light grey, and separated from reniform by a distinct dark-grey patch. Reniform faintly outlined in light grey. A jagged light-grey line at ​³⁄₄, bending towards termen until centre of wing, then inwards before reaching dorsum. Terminal edge margined with light grey, edged basally with a dark suffusion, which forms a faintly defined line; slight grey marks along veins where they reach termen. Cilia short, light grey and dark grey alternate patches. Hindwings light grey with a faint ochreous tinge, a darker band across wing at J and a slightly waved subterminal band. Terminal edge and cilia grey-white. Underside grey with a faint ochreous tinge and a well-defined irregular dark-grey line at about ​³⁄₄ across both wings.[2]