MORPHOLOGY
External characteristics
Male
Wingspan (mm): 55 - 60 (279).
Forewings: The forewing has a distinctive black coloured tip, marked with four white spots (279). Hindwings There is a red coloured submarginal band and yellow basal colouring (Pequin, 2021) on the hindwing underside (279).
Female
The females generally have a different underside wing surface than the males, by being darker with broader margins on both wings (D'Abrera, 1982). Females have a major part of the upper side wing surface white, with only the apical area on the forewing and the submarginal area of the hindwing black coloured (Pequin, 2021).
Subspecies and variation
Three subspecies are described. The female of ssp. aruensis has dark colouring on the entire upper side wing surface (Pequin, 2021).