Carposina canescens is a moth of the Carposinidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. The wingspan is 15–17 mm. The head, palpi and thorax are whitish-grey. The abdomen is whitish-ochreous. The forewings are grey with a faint greenish tinge and a black basal area on the costa, reaching half across wing and indicated below the middle by a few raised black scales. The hindwings are shining grey.