MORPHOLOGY
External characteristics
Male
Forewings: The forewing upper side has broad black coloured margins, with sometimes a white dot present. The forewing underside has black and white areas (Joicey and Talbot, 1922). Hindwings The hindwing underside has an increased black coloured area, which leaves the anterior patch more or less buff coloured. The hindwing has a red coloured submarginal line that does not reach the costa (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).
Subspecies and variation
Fifteen subspecies are described. There is geographical and seasonal variation; the dry season form has the marginal border on the upper side wing surface reduced and the submarginal row of spots is clrearer than in the wet season form. The basal half of the hindwing underside is in females of ssp. lucia dull-yellow coloured and tinged with orange. The ground-colour of subspecies from Pantar Island is on the underside of both wing yellow (Yata and Morishita, 1979).