The male is an iridescent blue-green with a dark background. The female is more subdued in color. There are 16 known subspecies. This butterfly is mostly white, with black, red and yellow markings on the undersides of the wings. The wing span is about 7 cm.
Females have more dark markings.
The host plant is mistletoe, where females lay clusters of eggs. The caterpillars are green and covered with long, fine hairs and a black head. The yellow pupa is attaches itself to the bottom of a leaf with a silken thread. This migratory insect lives in tropical rainforests. The body is chubby and the antennae are feathered.