MORPHOLOGY
The descriptions below are on the genus level. For difference between the species we recommend to look at the pictures or look up the original species description.
External characteristics
Forewing length (mm): 18-28.
General morphology:
Antennae half to over half of length of costa, club moderate, finely pointed apex. Forewing broad with evenly curved, rarely straight termen. Hindwing rounded, may be slightly crenulate, sometimes weakly hooked in middle of termen.
Wing coloration:
Upper side: Upper side forewing black or dark brown with white, pale yellow to orange more or less semi-hyaline spots which may form a solid band across the wing from near tornus to mid costa, three or more tiny apical spots often present; in one species no spots at all. Upper side hindwing plain brown or black, at most some paler ill-defined spots.
Underside: Underside forewing as upper side, more or less pale along inner margin. Underside hindwing as upper side, but in one species greater part of wing yellow-orange with black dots..
Secondary sexual characters:
Male without costal fold, but hind tibiae furnished with an erectile tuft fitting into a double pouch at the end of the thorax.
Species
A pantropical genus with at least 125 species. The African species of this huge genus have been monographed by Libert (2014; Sur la taxonomie du genre Celaenorrhinus Hübner en Afrique (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae)). Numerous cryptic species were found, raising the total number of recognized taxa to 125. At the same time, this author divided the African species among four genera. Unfortunately, the Asian species were not included in this revisionary work, leaving the possibility unresolved that the Asian species may belong to more than one of the recognized African genera. Since the four genera (together with a previously recognized African genus) form a monophyletic group, the most elegant solution for the time being is to consider the entire group to be the genus Celaenorrhinus sensu lato.