The Caterpillars are inclined to shelter under foodplant leaves, and are always attended by :

The pupa is smooth with a flattened abdomen, and is variously green or brown or a mottled combination of both, with a white dorsal line on the thorax. Its length is about 1 cm. The pupation occurs gregariously on stems or leaves of the foodplant.

(Photo: courtesy of Nick Monaghan, Tewantin, Queensland)

On top, the male adults are purple.

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The females are brown with a purple sheen, and have some pale-edged dark spots around the hindwing margin.

Female
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, both sexes are fawn with arcs of light and dark dashes. The hindwings have a black spot by the tornus. The butterflies have a wing span of about 2.5 cms.

Male, underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The eggs are round, white with a dark spot, and flattened. They are laid in groups of up to 50 on young shoots of a foodplant.

eggs
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The species occurs in New Guinea and in the tropical north of Australia, including :

Further reading :

Michael F. Braby,
Butterflies of Australia, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne 2000, vol. 2, pp. 751-752.

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