MORPHOLOGY
External characteristics
Male
Forewing length (mm): 45 - 47 (Otsuka, Kazuhisa, 2001), 50 (Kirton, 2018). Wingspan (mm): 100 (Feltwell, 1993), 70 - 100 (279).
Forewings: The upper side wing surface is white coloured and the orange markings do not extend to the base (Yata and Morishita, 1979). There is on the upper half of the forewing upper side a distinct red coloured band (Otsuka, Kazuhisa, 2001).
Female Wingspan (mm):100 (Feltwell, 1993).
The upper side wing surface of females has dark spots inner to a dark border (Kirton, 2018). The female lacks the distinct red band on the forewing upper side, or it is virtually indistinct (Otsuka, Kazuhisa, 2001).
Subspecies and variation
22 (D'Abrera, 1982) to 24 (Yata and Morishita, 1979) subspecies are described, of which four subspecies are found in Philippines. Males of ssp. borneensis are similar to those of ssp. sumatrana, but the orange apical patch is narrower on that subspecies. Ssp. celebensis is the largest of the glaucippe subspecies, the females are very variable in width of the black margin and the colour of the forewing underside apical patch varies from pale yellow to dull orange. The size of the dry season form of H. glaucippe is much reduced in both sexes (D'Abrera, 1982). The specimens in higher latitudes have seasonal forms; the dry season form is smaller than the wet season form, it has further a more curved and strongly acute apex on the forewing. Subspecies from Andaman-Paramalayan have a yellow coloured upper side wing surface. Ssp. vossi has in both sexes completely yellow coloured wings. Ssp. roepstorffi has only for the outer half of the wing yellow colouration. The subspecies from Indo-Malayan has sexual dimorphism; the males are white coloured, while the females are pale yellowish green with well developed marginal and submarginal black coloured markings. The males of ssp. borneensis have a very broad black oblique band, located beneath the orange markings, the females have black scaling over the orange markings. The specimens of Lesser Sundanian are smaller, the males have on the upper side wing surface yellow ground-colour, which large orange markings. The males of ssp.javaensis have a more or less yellow coverage over the inner ridge of the orange markings and hindwing costa, further they are small-sized. The black markings of ssp. flavomarginata are obsolete. Subspecies from Celebes are large, have a strongly acute apex and the orange markings extend into the cell. The subspecies from the Philippines are smaller, they have a black coloured edge under the orange markings, which is vestigial or lacks. The males are yellow coloured on the upper side wing surface and the female is entirely covered with a pale yellow colour. The black marking of ssp. iliaca is declining. (Yata and Morishita, 1979).