MORPHOLOGY

External characteristics

Male
Forewing length (mm): 41-49. Wingspan (mm): 70-85.
Forewings: Upperside evenly dark brown or paler brown along margin, spots varying from practically absent to a prominent, pale yellow to whitish submarginal band of varying width interrupted by dark veins; underside similar. Hindwings crenulate, with or without short tail at end of vein 4; upperside dark brown, may be paler in marginal third, with median band of separate or more or less confluent median spots of strongly varying width from inner margin (space 1b) to outer half of front margin, submarginal spots absent or present as (usually indistinct) crescents; underside similar but submarginal and median spots may be enlarged to fill outer half of wing interrupted by a dark zigzag line between the enlarged median and submarginal spots, some orange color near tornus.

Female
Forewing length (mm): 49-52. Wingspan (mm):82-88.
Similar to male and same range of variation, pale yellowish usually more whitish, submarginal spots on hindwing absent to prominent.

Subspecies and variation

Much of the variation as described above is individual, but much is also geographical and 11 subspecies have been distinguished to cover it.

Similar species

Although the practically unspotted forms may be reminiscent of species of the genus Euploea (Nymphalidae: Danainae), wingshape and flight behavior are so different that mimicry seems a bit far-fetched in this case. In case of doubt, the prsence of only one anal vein instead of two in the hindwing, will easily set P. canopus apart.

_{source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020}