Deep purplish-black ground colour on the upperside, with a broad white band crossing both wings. There is a row of spots, blue with often a small amount of red.

Deep purplish-black ground colour on the upperside, with a broad white band crossing both wings. There is a row of spots, blue with often a small amount of red.

Stout body, olive to golden-green on backside of thorax, yellowish underneath, dark burgundy on the abdomen; forewings & hindwings have large unscaled, clear areas bordered to the edges with dark brown scales & with dark scales along veins.

Caterpillar is banded with yellow, black & white stripes. The head is also striped with yellow & black. There are two pairs of black filaments, one pair on each end of the body. The caterpillar will reach a length of 5 cm (2 in).

Orange wings with black veins, double row of white spots on black wing borders, on hindwings of males specialized scales form a black spot along a vein.

The flowers are a few of red or purple, 5 parts with petals shorter & narrower than sepals about 2 cm wide.