MORPHOLOGY
External characteristics
Male
Wingspan (mm): 44 - 48 (DBpedia, n.d.).
Forewings: The forewing upper side has a white coloured area, which usually extends well beyond the end of the cell. The colour of the costa is black to the base. There are one or two subapical spots. The forewing underside is similar to the forewing upper side, but has two yellow subapical spots and three small antemarginal spots (Pequin, 2021). Hindwings The hindwing upper side has a white with black fringe. The hindwing underside has a red cell stripe placed close to the median. There is a large white discal area, with indistinct yellow patches. The submarginal line has a red colouration and is narrowly separated from the edge of the white area by the black ground-colour, and is bordered by large white patches. The margin has a black colouration and forms short triangular spots between the white patches on the veins (Pequin, 2021).
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 reduced white area, which is sometimes tinged with yellow. The hindwing has a black marginal border and may bear sometimes a row of five white spots. The hindwing underside is as in the male, but the red line is nearer the margin and the white spots are smaller (Pequin, 2021).
Subspecies and variation
No subspecies (Pequin, 2021).