The wings of the female are black , brown, and gray with black and white spots on the black margins. The undersides of the wings are black, brown, and tan. The black and yellow caterpillar eats only violets. Family Nymphalidae . Rhabdomes are the photoreceptors of an insect's compound eye .
Tropical species are more brightly colored than species from cooler areas.
Metalmarks have long antennae. The forelegs are normal in females, but reduced in the males. Most metalmarks have some type of relationship with ants. Caterpillars are slug-like, short, and often have tubercles with bristles. A riparian forest is situated by a river bank or other body of water.