Male upperside dull brownish black. Fore wing with streaks in cell, the internervular streaks and the veins velvety black. Hind wing: ground-colour more uniform to apex of cell, beyond this interspaces 2, 3 and 4 with broad elongate white spots, the spot in interspace 2 slightly tinged outwardly with crimson; sometimes a white crimson-tinted spot also in interspace 1; a subterminal series of crimson lunules in interspaces 2 to 5, that in 5 generally more or less white ; lastly, a crimson spot at apex of vein 3 and on apex of tail. Underside similar, ground-colour much paler; markings of the hind wing as on the upperside, but slightly larger, the crimson spots brighter; in many specimens a small discal adnervular spot in interspace 5, and a sub-terminal small white lunule in interspace 6 also present; the crimson-tinted discal spot in interspace 1 always present. Antennae dark brownish black, head and front of the prothorax crimson, the rest of the body above black; beneath, the palpi, thorax and abdomen crimson, the middle of the thorax and of the abdomen with black markings.
Female similar, slightly paler; the white and crimson markings on the hind wing on both upper and undersides similar but larger ;there is generally also a discal adnervular spot in interspace 5. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male.