MORPHOLOGY

External characteristics

Male
Forewing length (mm): 64-71. Wingspan (mm): 118-132.
Forewings: Upperside black, veins in cell inconspicuously paler, indistinct paler double stripes between the veins; underside similar, but pale veins and stripes more conspicuous. Hindwings crenulate with strong spatulate tail at end of vein 4; upperside black with large, irregular, pale yellowish patch from front margin to vein 5 or 6, consisting of two or three spots (in spaces 5-7 or in 6-7), in case of two spots the upper one as wide as the lower one, in case of three spots the upper one about half as wide as the one below it, no red spots; underside same large pale spot more whitish, intersected by dark veins, but may be completely absent, veins finely outlined in pale yellow, basal half of space 7 finely dusted with pale yellow scales, double red marks in spaces 1a-b and 2, the one in space 1b capped with blue scales, blue patch next to it in space 2, indistinct red submarginal spots in spaces 5-7 and some blue scaling in median area of same spaces.

Female
Similar to male, but markings better developed and large pale patch on hindwing may extend into space 4 and very indistinctly to space 2.

Subspecies and variation

Varies considerably geographically, particularly in the size of the pale spot on the hindwing; three subspecies have been distinguished, ssp. sataspes from Sulawesi proper (with largest pale patch), ssp. artaphernes from the Bangai Archipelago (pale patch consisting of only two spots), and ssp. ahasverus from the Sula Archipelago (pale patch consisting of two spots, but much smaller than in previous subspecies, and no pale spot on underside hindwing in male)..

Similar species

No similar species in its limited distribution area

_{source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020}